Home > Encyclopedia of Mental Disorders > Exhibitionism

Definition

Exhibitionism is a mental disorder characterized by a compulsion to display one's genitals to an unsuspecting stranger. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders,also known as the DSM-IV-TR,classifies exhibitionism under the heading of the "paraphilias," a subcategory of sexual and gender identity disorders. The paraphiliasare a group of mental disorders marked by obsessionwith unusual sexual practices or with sexual activity involving nonconsenting or inappropriate partners (such as children or animals). The term paraphiliais derived from two Greek words meaning "outside of" and "friendship-love."

In the United States and Canada, the slang term...