CO-MORBIDITY OF ALCOHOLISM AND THE PARAPHILIAS

Alcoholism has been related to a wide variety of crimes. Various autho rs have studied the prevalence of alcoholism in relationship to incest , rape and pedophilia. This study evaluates the co-morbidity of alcoho lism and the specific paraphilias including sexual sadism, fetishism, incest, pedophilia, exhibitionism and transvestism. Rapists were inclu ded although by definition it is not strictly a paraphilic disorder. S even hundred and twenty right paraphilic individuals were evaluated. M ore than 50% of sexual sadists were alcoholics. Alcoholism in associat ion with sexual sadists was statistically significant as compared to t ransvestites, rapists, pedophiles, and incest offenders. Transvestism had the lowest relative rate of alcoholism. The authors discuss these findings and the role alcoholism plays in causing violent sexual behav ior in individuals with paraphilias.