Hybristophilia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Hybristophilia is a sexual interest in and attraction to those who commit crimes,[1] a paraphilia in which sexual arousal, facilitation, and attainment of orgasm are responsive to and contingent upon being with a partner known to have committed a crime. The term is derived from the Greek word hubrizein (ὑβρίζειν), meaning "to commit an outrage against someone" (ultimately derived from hubris ὕβρις, "hubris"), and philo, meaning "having a strong affinity/preference for".[2] In popular culture, this phenomenon is also known as "Bonnie and Clyde syndrome".[3]

Many high-profile criminals, particularly those who have committed atrocious crimes, receive "fan mail" in prison that is sometimes amorous or sexual, presumably as a result of this phenomenon. In some cases, admirers of these criminals have gone on to marry the object of their affections in prison.[4][5]

Lexicology[]

The term is derived from the Greek word ὑβρίζειν hubrizein, meaning "to commit an outrage against someone" (ultimately derived from ὕβρις hubris "hubris"), and philo, meaning "having a strong affinity/preference for".[6] In popular culture, this phenomenon is also known as "Bonnie and Clyde Syndrome".[3] Women who write pen letters or even pursue men who are incarcerated for a crime are sometimes referred to as a prison groupie.[7][8] In its broadest sense, hybristophilia includes attraction towards partners who displayed dark triad personality traits.[9]

Causes[]

Some speculations have been offered as to the cause of hybristophilia. For instance, Katherine Ramsland, who is a professor of forensic psychology at DeSales University mentions that some of the women in particular who have married or dated male serial killers have offered the following reasons:[citation needed]

  • Low self-esteem and the lack of a father figure.
  • "Some believe they can change a man as cruel and powerful as a serial killer."
  • "Others 'see' the little boy that the killer once was and seek to nurture him."
  • "A few hoped to share in the media spotlight or get a book or movie deal."
  • "Then there's the notion of the 'perfect boyfriend'. She knows where he is at all times and she knows he's thinking about her. While she can claim that someone loves her, she does not have to endure the day-to-day issues involved in most relationships. There’s no laundry to do, no cooking for him, and no accountability to him. She can keep the fantasy charged up for a long time."

Others offered reasons along the lines of:

  • "Some mental health experts have compared infatuation with killers to extreme forms of fanaticism. They view such women as insecure females who cannot find love in normal ways or as 'love-avoidant' females who seek romantic relationships that cannot be consummated."[4]

Psychologist Leon F. Seltzer has offered explanations for the phenomenon of male serial killers attracting female sex partners based on evolutionary psychology. Serial killers, in his view, are cases of alpha males that tend to attract women. This is because such males were good at protecting women and their offspring according to evolutionary history. He says women today may consciously realize that it is unwise to date a serial killer, but they are nevertheless attracted to them; he stated, "as a therapist I've encountered many women who bemoaned their vulnerability toward dominant men who, consciously, they recognized were all wrong for them".[5] As evidence of women's fantasy preference for dominant men, he refers to the book A Billion Wicked Thoughts: What the World's Largest Experiment Reveals about Human Desire by Ogi Ogas and Sai Gaddam. Seltzer discusses Ogas and Gaddam's argument that this fantasy is the dominant plot of most erotic/romantic books and movies written for women but the fantasy always holds that this male dominance is conditional, "it doesn't really represent the man's innermost reality".[5]

Historical[]

  • Jeffrey Dahmer, a serial killer, is said to have had amorous women sending him letters, money, and other gifts during his time in prison despite being a homosexual.[10]
  • Richard Ramirez, the "Night Stalker" who killed 13 people and had more than a passing interest in Satanism, had fans who would write him letters and pay him visits. This included Doreen Lioy who married him in California's San Quentin State Prison on October 3, 1996.[11]

References []

  1. ^ Hybristophilia definition, American Psychological Association
  2. ^ Eric W. Hickey, ed. (2006). Sex crimes and paraphilia. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson Education. pp. 197–9. ISBN 9780131703506.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b "Bonnie and Clyde Syndrome Is a Real Thing - Nerve". Internet Archive. Archived from the original on 2017-11-13.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b Ramsland, Katherine (20 April 2012). "Women Who Love Serial Killers". Psychology Today. Retrieved 13 May 2013.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b c Seltzer, Leon F. (24 April 2012). "Why Do Women Fall for Serial Killers?". Psychology Today. Retrieved 13 May 2013.
  6. ^ Eric W. Hickey, ed. (2006). Sex crimes and paraphilia. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson Education. pp. 197–9. ISBN 9780131703506.
  7. ^ Poniewozik, James (Apr 2, 2018). "Review: 'The Last O.G.' Searches for Brooklyn, and Itself (Published 2018)" – via NYTimes.com.
  8. ^ Mailhot, Terese. "Paul Simon Money." Transmotion 2.1&2 (2016): 131.
  9. ^ Watts, Ashley L., et al. "Do Psychopathic Birds of a Feather Flock Together? Psychopathic Personality Traits and Romantic Preferences." Journal of personality (2018).
  10. ^ Barnard, Ian; Nanny M. W. de Vries, Jan Best. "The Racialization of Sexuality: The Queer Case of Jeffrey Dahmer". Thamyris Overcoming Boundaries: Ethnicity, Gender and Sexuality. Thamyris Intersecting. Rodopi. p. 88. ISSN 1381-1312.
  11. ^ Fimrite, Peter; Taylor, Michael (March 27, 2005). "No shortage of women who dream of snaring a husband on Death Row". San Francisco Chronicle. San Francisco, California: Hearst Corporation. Archived from the original on July 10, 2013. Retrieved May 22, 2012.

Further reading[]

Retrieved from ""