Sexual deviation is among a group of mental disorders involving fixations which cause distress and dysfunction.

Including among such dysfunctional behaviour is telephone scatology.

Speaking on the subject of sexual deviations at the recent Mental Health Officers conference in Kingston, consultant psychologist Dr. Emmanuel Boreland said that telephone scatology is a mental disorder.

Scatology is defined as preoccupation with faeces, filth, or obscenities. Telephone scatology is characterised by arousal in anticipation and actual making of obscene phone calls to an unsuspecting partner.

Obscene telephone calls

The perpetrator might be a male or female who selects individuals from telephone listings, random dialling or even people they know. In their search for numbers they look for clues to sex, such as Mr. or Miss, and also first names. They then make obscene telephone calls to non-consenting parties, said Dr. Boreland.

"Using prepaid and other telephone arrangements which are anonymous, they then proceed to make calls for their own sexual pleasure, talking about sex or using expletives.

"They will sometime masturbate while talking. Such acts are considered deviant and are also a form of sexual harassment. The call is not solicited. Without permission, they proceed to annoy by using sexual or foul language."

Dr. Boreland noted that there are telephone calls which are sexual and areof a consensual nature, as both parties consent, or when one party pays the other to 'talk dirty' to them.

However, he states, where such calls are not consensual, the individual receiving the call will be disturbed and may be traumatised to the point of requiring counselling therapy.

Signs and symptoms of telephone scatology involve constant use of telephones at night and in secrecy, "Especially on weekends when they know that people are at home," the psychologist notes.

Other signs include the incessant questioning of others about the marital status of others and viewing of pornography. Another sign involves racing to use the phone before others.

Telephone scatology is a long-term addiction, which requires therapy. According to Dr. Boreland, victims should attempt to get relevant information, such as telephone numbers, name and addresses, and pass these on to the authorities.

"If it is someone you know, you can ask him or her to go to counselling or ask a spouse or close relative to intervene. You could suggest also that he or she would not like you to do it to a member of their own family," the psychologist advises.

If they do not respond to advice, it might be best to report them to the authorities.

Information provided by Dr. Emmanuel Boreland, consultant psychologist, who spoke at the Mental Health Officers Conference in Kingston in June.