Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment 2016, Vol. 28(1) 3–19 © The Author(s) 2014 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav DOI: 10.1177/1079063214525643 sax.sagepub.com Article More Than a Nuisance: The Prevalence and Consequences of Frotteurism and Exhibitionism Stephanie K. Clark 1 , Elizabeth L. Jeglic 2 , Cynthia Calkins 2 , and Joseph R. Tatar 1 Abstract Despite indications that acts of frotteurism and exhibitionism are frequent occurrences, these sexual paraphilias have received little empirical attention. To address this gap in our knowledge about these paraphilias, 459 undergraduate students in a major metropolitan city completed a self-report measure designed to investigate the frequency and correlates of frotteurism and exhibitionism. Results indicate a high rate of victimization among female college students for both paraphilias. Furthermore, acts of frotteurism and exhibitionism most often occurred in places related to public transportation (e.g., subway trains or platforms) in this urban setting. In addition, victims reported a number of negative outcomes as a consequence of victimization, including feelings of violation, changes in behavior, and even long-term psychological distress. Older females were the most likely to be victimized. These findings are discussed as they pertain to the prevention and deterrence of paraphilic sexual acts. Keywords frotteurism, exhibitionism, paraphilias Frotteurism and exhibitionism are both paraphilias that involve sexual arousal derived from non-consenting individuals, which, if acted upon may constitute sexual assault. Specifically, frotteurism refers to sexual urges or behaviors that involve touching or 1 University of California, Irvine, CA, USA 2 John Jay College of Criminal Justice, New York, NY, USA Corresponding Author: Elizabeth L. Jeglic, Department of Psychology, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, 524 West 59th Street, New York, NY 10019, USA. Email: ejeglic@jjay.cuny.edu 525643SAX XX X 10.1177/1079063214525643Sexual AbuseClark et al. research-article 2014 by guest on January 12, 2016 sax.sagepub.com Downloaded from