Hybristophilia, deriving from the Greek hybridzein, meaning to perpetuate an outrage against another, has been defined as the phenomenon of an individual being sexually aroused by a criminal offender.
Causes of hybristophilia
Although, among the possible causes we can find the following: History of abuse. Studies have shown that women who have a history of abuse in their childhood tend to choose sexual and romantic partners with a criminal and aggressive profile. This continues the pattern of abuse.
Hybristophilia isn't a mental disorder in itself, but a paraphilia. In other words, a deviation of conventional sexual attraction. Thus, treatment might be necessary if this inclination has negative repercussions (for example, choosing dangerous people as partners).
What Is Hybristophilia? Hybristophiliacs are people who are sexually aroused and attracted to people who have committed cruel, gruesome crimes such as murder and rape. It occurs more often in women than in men.
One of the most infamous examples of hybristophilia is the large number of women attracted to Ted Bundy after his arrest. He often drew scores of women at the jammed courtrooms of his trials each day.
Hybristophilia is often referred to as “Bonnie and Clyde syndrome” after the famous crime duo who, along with their gang, were responsible for at least nine deaths and countless robberies. Bonnie was an unusual criminal and, before meeting Clyde and joining him in a life of crime, was a prize-winning student.
Serial killers differ in many ways, including their motivations for killing and their behavior at the crime scene. However, attendees did identify certain traits common to some serial murderers, including sensation seeking, a lack of remorse or guilt, impulsivity, the need for control, and predatory behavior.
Hybristophilia is technically described as a paraphilia of the predatory type in which a person can be sexually aroused, or even achieve orgasm in response to, or contingent upon, being with a partner who is known to have committed an outrage, like cheating or lying, or known infidelities of crime, such as rape, murder ...
Hybristophilia (also known as the Bonnie and Clyde Syndrome) is a form of paraphilia (or perversion) involving sexual attraction to people who have committed some sort of "outrage". The term is usually associated with fans of notorious criminals.
And while it's not common within the general population, it's a regular occurrence for male prisoners. “I can't tell you how often I see this happen,” says Louis Schlesinger, PhD, professor of forensic psychology at the John Jay College Of Criminal Justice.
A case is presented of hybristophilia – attraction and sexual arousal to the criminal acts of another – in men which, to date, is a phenomenon that has not been documented. A sexually motivated female serial killer recruited the help of three male accomplices to aid her in her crimes and avoid police detection.
Passive hybristophiliacs “tend to put themselves in positions to be seduced, manipulated, and lied to by the people they fall for”. Aggressive hybristophilia comprises those individuals who actively help (typically male) criminals to commit the crime(s).
Some may become sexually aroused by being with a partner convicted of a severe crime such as rape, murder, or armed robbery. This is a paraphilia known as hybristophilia. American psychiatry's diagnostic system, DSM-5, notes that this condition may interfere with the establishment of normal sexual relationships.
n. a paraphilia in which sexual arousal and the achievement of orgasm are facilitated by the fantasy or belief that one is in danger of being killed. This may include the individual staging a sexual encounter characterized by extreme masochism with the real potential for his or her own murder.
For those working in correctional facilities in the US, hybristophilia is said to affect almost 4 per cent of prison workers, which includes not only prison guards, but psychologists, social workers, nurses, teachers, and other professionals.
Character List and Analysis Bonnie Clutter. Wife of Herbert, mother of four, and bedridden with severe depression since the birth of her youngest, Bonnie is fragile, affectionate, and deeply ashamed of her condition. She is always cold, even in the summer, and her room is always heated.
See the 1967 movie, Bonnie and Clyde, starring Warren Beatty, for a nice portrayal of someone with antisocial personality disorder.
One of the most iconic couples of the 20th century was Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow. The two became notorious outlaws at the height of the Great Depression and were surprisingly idolized for their dedication to each other through prison breaks, robberies, and murder.
Many factors influence whom people are attracted to. They include physical attractiveness, proximity, similarity, and reciprocity: Physical attractiveness: Research shows that romantic attraction is primarily determined by physical attractiveness.
The killer claimed he was addicted to murder, saying: "You feel their last bit of breath leaving their body. You're looking into their eyes. A person in that situation is God." Bundy was finally arrested, tried and sentenced to death aged 42, having confessed to 36 murders.
Researchers have identified certain characteristics of female serial killers, finding they tend to be white, married at least once, of at least average intelligence, and are more likely to be employed in healthcare professions.
Four types of serial murderers are identified: the 'visionary,' the 'mission-oriented,' 'hedonistic,' and 'power/control-oriented.
Many serial killers are survivors of early childhood trauma of some kind – physical or sexual abuse, family dysfunction, emotionally distant or absent parents. Trauma is the single recurring theme in the biographies of most killers As a consequence of this trauma, they suppress their emotional response.
One of the defining aspects of Bonnie and Clyde comes from its graphic violence, a subject that still makes it a point of contention to this day. While far from the first film to depict violence, it popularized a more bloody and explicit portrayal that has since become standard in Hollywood films.