ABSTRACT
Voyeurism, or inspectionism, is an aberrant sexual behavior whereby an individual derives sexual pleasure and gratication from observing unsuspecting and non-consenting people who may be in the act of disrobing, partially or completely nude, engaged in sexual intercourse, or dressed in whatever other way the voyeur nds sexually stimulating. Karpman dened voyeurism as a “pathological indulgence in looking at some form of nudity as a source of gratication in place of the normal sex act.”1 The word derives from French verb voir (to see) with the sufx eur that translates as “-er” in English. A literal translation would then be “seer” or “observer,” with pejorative connotations. Usual examples of voyeurism include a voyeur stationing himself outside a person’s home and watching through a window, training instruments such as binoculars, telescopes, or perhaps even electronic devices in other people’s bedrooms and bathrooms, or peeping through cracks and crevices in bathroom doors. In India, women are often seen to take baths openly in holy rivers during festive occasions, with hardly any cover. It is not uncommon for voyeurs to take advantage of this occasion and peep at women disrobing and subsequently taking a bath. The thrill of a voyeur comes mainly from a constantly impending fear of being caught while watching. That is why a voyeur derives more pleasure in watching unsuspecting and non-consenting people than a paid strip show, where although he would get to see nudity more easily and clearly, there would be no fear of getting caught.
