Mapping the boundaries of courtship disorder

The courtship disorder hypothesis maintains that voyeurism, exhibitionism, toucheurism‐frotteurism, and the preferential rape pattern are expressions of the same disorder (courtship disorder). Earlier studies had shown that with the exception of the preferential rape pattern these paraphilias co‐occur to a reasonably high degree. The present study (1) demonstrated that the preferential rape pattern co‐occurs with the above reasonably well established expressions of courtship disorder to a higher degree than other main paraphilic activity patterns do and (2) supported the conjecture that in addition to an erotic preference for unfamiliarity of target person‐or‐object (noted by earlier authors), three other paraphilic target‐person or object preferences may be connected with courtship disorder, though they are not at all virtually obligatory as is erotic unfamiliarity. These are choosing children and adults alike as target persons of the paraphilic activities, non‐gender dysphoric transvestism, and fetishism.