Sources
Help build the largest human-edited directory on the web.
Submit a site - Become an editor
Wikipedia. Licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
Are you an expert in this subject? Join the discussion and share your knowledge at Wikipedia.org.
Obscene phone call
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
An obscene phone call is an unsolicited telephone call where the caller attempts to annoy or frighten the called party, usually by sexual or foul language. Note that solicited calls involving sexually explicit language are usually considered phone sex.
Making obscene telephone calls for sexual pleasure is known as telephone scatalogia and is theorized as a form of exhibitionism.[1] It is usually classed as a paraphilia from a medical viewpoint, although from the viewpoint of the recipient of the calls, it is generally considered to be a form of sexual harassment. In some states, making obscene telephone calls is a Class 1 Misdemeanor.
Generally, recipients of obscene phone calls are advised to simply hang up on obscene callers, and to report the incident to the telephone company and/or the police. Even where caller ID is not available, calls are logged by the telephone company, so the perpetrator's phone number can be discovered. However, many people who regularly engage in obscene phone calls use payphones or prepaid cell phones, and in these cases a more extensive investigation is necessary.
1. Dalby, JT (1988) "Is telephone scatologia a variant of exhibitionism?" International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology 32, 45-49.