The concept of voyeurism has multiple meanings that have changed over time. Some definitions focus on or suggest deviance in looking, while others do not. Examining the shifting meanings of voyeurism from through , psychiatrist Jonathan Metzl b observes that "in present-day America, popular definitions of voyeurism are as broad as psychiatric definitions are narrow" p. On the one hand, voyeurism may be considered a type of paraphilia—an inappropriate sexual desire or sexual disorder.
Word to women: If you are in the state of Washington, wear pants. The two general categories of Internet voyeurism, said Cooper, are photographic shots of unsuspecting women in compromising positions such as the upskirt, downblouse and bathroom shots, and live streaming videotape of such things as couples having sex and women performing their own activity. For a voyeur whose behavior qualifies as a paraphilia, the Internet is the equivalent of a drug to an addict. Voyeurism is a learned behavior, almost completely a male penchant, and it sometimes starts innocently enough in adolescence. The repeated association of sexual gratification with peeping can turn it into a sexual fixation. Though voyeurism bears an element of hostility, said Clipson, rarely do voyeurs go on to commit hands-on sexual offenses. The idea of actually going on to rape someone is so completely foreign to them.
Downblouse is a form of sexual fetishism or voyeurism involving watching a person's breasts while looking down their dress. The practice is regarded as a form of sexual fetishism or voyeurism and is similar in nature to upskirting. With the advent of digital photography and camera phones , covert photography of cleavage became popular with some websites becoming dedicated to such photographs.
A downblouse is a voyeuristic phrase defined as clandestine peeks at the woman's tits when the clothing affords a viewing gap. This most often occurs when she is bending over when wearing a loose-fitting shirt that allows a view down the front or in the case of a sleeveless shirt or tanktop, a view from the side. To the voyeur , a standard downblouse may result in a view of a bra.