Obscene phone call

Status as a paraphilia

Telephone scatologia is usually classed as a paraphilia from a psychiatric viewpoint. It is in the DSM-5 as an other specified paraphilic disorder. Related psychiatric terms (such as coprophilia) were coined in Australia, the United States, and Germany; most of the pertinent literature is North American. From the viewpoint of the recipient of the calls, obscene calls may be considered to be a form of sexual harassment, stalking, or both.

Legal consequences

In some U.S. states, making obscene telephone calls is a Class 1 Misdemeanor. In the United Kingdom, obscene phone calls are punishable by a fine of up to £5,000 or up to six months in prison under the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994.

Reactions by unwilling recipients

Generally, unwilling recipients of obscene phone calls are advised to simply hang up on obscene callers and then report the incident to the telephone company or the police. Even when Caller ID is not shown, calls are logged by the telephone company, so the perpetrator's phone number can be discovered. However, many people who regularly engage in obscene phone calls use payphones or prepaid cell phones, and in these cases, a more extensive investigation is necessary. The prevalence of internet telephony, and sophisticated international operations have also stymied the investigation of nuisance phone calls.

References

References

1. Dalby, J. T.. (1988). "Is telephone scatologia a variant of exhibitionism?". International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology.
2. (2018). ""Telephone Scatologia": Onomasiological and Historical Note". Archives of Sexual Behavior.
3. "Buss Lab — Evolutionary Psychology at the University of Texas".
4. "What Is Stalking?".
5. (January 29, 2018). "§ 18.2-427. Use of profane, threatening, or indecent language over public airways or by other methods.".
6. https://web.archive.org/web/20111101203635/https://www.west-midlands.police.uk/help-advice/nuisance-malicious-calls/index.asp Nuisance/Malicious calls, [[West Midlands Police]]
7. "Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994".