Introduction
Seen in the light of gradual change and development in the moral fabric of the society, it is intriguing to witness the behavioral adjustment and drastic tolerance toward sexual activities once termed immoral. The dramatic move to allow homosexuality and even bestiality in some countries captured the full attention of lawmakers all over the world. States such as Finland and Sweden legalized bestiality while other nations still hold their high moral ground on the issue as unacceptable. Furthermore, Denmark is an example of a nation that passed a law, allowing people to have sex with animals, as long as the animal remained unharmed. In the 16th century, bestiality was unacceptable and punishable. This essay seeks to look into the history of bestiality coupled with reasons why people carryout or perform the act. In addition, the paper carries out an in-depth analysis on the attitude of bestiality in the present society, differences between bestiality and zophilia.
Bestiality And Zoophilia
Bestiality is a grave crime and rarely spoken of in most communities. In India, the sexual act might carry a heavy penalty (Earls, & Lalumiere, 2009). Psychiatric literature does not pay attention to the act despite of emerging evidence revealing a good number of people practice bestiality. In some communities, bestiality cures sexually transmitted illnesses but in reality, members of that particular society love the act and cover it through dubious myths.
One of the main reasons individuals give for engaging in zoophilia or bestiality is the attraction toward an animal or nonhuman things (Earls, & Lalumiere, 2009). The two words often mean the same thing. It implies an interest in sexual intercourse with an animal. Most of the times, zoophilia and bestiality occur interchangeably. However, some scholars claimed that zoophilia is attraction a human may feel toward an animal and bestiality refers to sexually penetrating an animal. In fact, scientists consider utilization of an animal for fulfilling sexual desires a mental disorder. To be more specific, zoophilia is a mental status in which an individual continuously exhibits attraction toward an animal. On the other hand, bestiality occurs when a person has intercourse with an animal. People with zoophilia may fail to have sexual intercourse with the animal hence zoophilia does not automatically translate into bestiality. Many studies reveal that individuals who commit the act of bestiality have no favorite animal and a person with zoophilia can feel attraction towards both a human being and an animal. There is no clear information on causes of bestiality.
Bestiality in ancient communities
Sexual relations between man and animals, an activity termed bestiality existed since ancient times in each location and tradition around the world. Ancient paintings, statues, folklores reveal the existence of bestiality in early societies. Based historical information, bestiality is as old as the human race, and valid sources proof its embrace and influence among prehistoric people. According to historians, the sexual act between a man and an animal commenced almost 40,000 years ago (Earls, & Lalumiere, 2009). The unearthing of carvings showing humans engaging in sex with animals are in various prehistoric temples signaling early man’s interaction with the act. For example, archeologists believe that bone rod found in a cave in La Madeleine, showing a lioness licking a human penis or vulva is an indicator of bestiality in the early society. To explain further, archeologists’ findings unveil bestiality in Babylonia and Mesopotamia. At other times, according to archeological findings, dogs used to maintain continuous orgies for several days.
Numerous reports suggest that bestiality trials in Europe, between 16th and 18th century proved that the act was a popular practice among average Europeans who lived in at time. Tales of animal birthing beasts looking creatures spread far and wide. Linking sexual transmitted infections with human sexual relations with animals was also persistent among ancient Europeans. In summary, bestiality is as ancient as human history, accepted in various early communities for various purposes.
Social factors that cause and perspectives on bestiality in both modern and ancient communities
In some American states, such as Texas, a man or a woman can buy an animal from a pet store and then use it for sexual pleasure as long as no harm comes to the animal. The same rule applies in Finland and the beautiful landscapes of Hawaii (Earls, & Lalumiere, 2009). Thus, bestiality is not as rare as people think. Statistics on bestiality estimate that around 8% of men and 3.6% women had practiced the act once or more than twice in their lives. However, some scholars disputed the statistics as baseless and unfounded. Later a research by Morton Hunt claimed that 4.9% men and 1.9% women have sex with animals at least once in their lifetime.
Sexual deviance among modern and even ancient communities relied on the rules set on social interactions between human and other nonhuman elements. Social interactions determined what people could and could not engage in (Boggs, 2010). However, the in the present times, bestiality is a taboo and rarely brought up in conversations and never acceptable within any public domain just like acts such as masturbation. For illustration, the 2 century records instances of tremendous amounts of bestiality. As times passed, so did the attitudes and views on bestiality and by 16th century, it became an illegal practice shunned by most communities around the world. In the 17th century, religious leaders in Columbia stipulated rules allowing a two-year sentence on people who found engaging in sexual relations with animals. Therefore, bestiality was a taboo and religious leaders portrayed it as a supernatural act that would cause distraction.
In addition, bestiality was or is an unacceptable sexual practice. As explained earlier, bestiality threatened the natural rules of life hence was against god and norms of man. One of the ways it broke natural rules is that society thought that humans could bring fourth an offspring after having sex with an animal (Earls, & Lalumiere, 2009). Bestiality awakens emotional reactions among members of public and most individuals refer to it as disgusting and even demonic. Tales of bestiality are even in the Bible where one of the Ten Commandments warns against sleeping with animals, as the act is unclean. Consequently, the act was ungodly and threatened normal social order.
Statistical information Bestialities
Over the years, psychologists categorized bestiality based on specific animals. A cat is aelurophilia and sexual relations with a dolphin is delphinophilia (Boggs, 2010). In 1970s, John Money asserted that bestiality behaviors occurred due to lack of an alternative outlet for sexual tension. Thus, the only option was to penetrate animals. More so, people who normally engage in the behavior often seem to suffer from a mental disorder.
Research conducted in early 2000s, in the advent of internet use shows that some people seek help after discovering that they had sexual relations with animals. Besides, internet integrated people and many social media groups immerged to talk about the strange sexual preference (Boggs, 2010). Even though the internet brought the thoughts and perspective of various people under one platform, it also gave voice to the practice as people can share videos of the act and even organize events and fund raising in support for the practice. Currently, all peer-reviewed researches on bestiality gather their information from online platforms and non-health sectors. All the researches have the same conclusion and that is, people who have sex with animals do not have any other outlet or alternative but some prefer animals. The other reasons people give for bestiality hinges on loneliness and lack of love from the society. Thus, lack of affection pushes people toward animals (Boggs, 2010). For example, Hani Miletski’s assessment unveiled that out of the 93 people who practiced bestiality, only 12% of them had sexual relations due to lack of a human partner and 17% engaged in the act because they were too shy to initiate sex with other people. More so, 67% females have sexual relations with animals because of attraction toward the animal in question or because that particular pet wanted sexual relations with the female in question. Miletski sample revealed that 87% of men and 100% females preferred sexual encounters with dogs. The rest of the sample indicated 81 % men and 73% women favored horses as sexual partners. Lastly, only 8% of the sample wanted to halt the behavior. Furthermore, reports published before the year 2000 depended on scientific and medical information pointed out that most people who practiced the act were not mentally challenged or in need of any particular medical attention as an effect of bestiality.
Gaining Insight on Bestiality and social reactions
In some societies, practicing bestiality falls under sexual abuse and carries a heavy penalty (Ferreyra, 2016). Bestiality is a taboo issue and due to the little assessment carried out in the area, there is no fundamental understanding of the practice, which in turn makes the public shy away from the topic.
Sexual contact between a man or woman with an animal varies greatly depending on factor stimulating or driving the act. For example, arousing sexual feelings from watching pornographic content, touching and even caressing are part of bestiality. In addition, absence of enough profile of people perpetrating the act limits leaves scholars remain with old findings. Bestiality is common among white men aged between 30 and 50 who asserted that the first encounter happened at 13 years of age (Ferreyra, 2016). Absence of a common demographic or pattern in terms of race, societal status and even level of education makes it difficult to find the actual underlying cause of the practice. Most studies fail to verify on greys areas such as age and rely on pseudo-scientific methods hence facts cannot apply across the board.
As stated earlier there are no medical procedures or treatments for dealing with bestiality meetings or humans with that particular sexual preference (Ferreyra, 2016). In most bestiality cases, Psychiatrists inform that bestiality is a paraphilic action but the underlying cause is not mental illness. In fact, there is no specific treatment rendered for bestiality. America and other western nations made bestiality a crime. The enactment of laws prohibiting bestiality helped regulate the behavior. An estimated half of the American population deems bestiality a distasteful act and judges usually suspend cases pertaining bestiality or defer sentencing.
Currently, experts have no mitigation measures against bestiality or equipment to foretell if one’s conduct may lead to bestiality (Ferreyra, 2016). This is because few bestiality cases come under the radar of the authorities hence few sentences and in the end, law enforcers will deal with fewer cases during their tenure in office. The positive thing relies on gaining insight on the association between human and animal.
Health risks associated with Bestiality
Leptospirosis occurs when a human have sexual relations with dogs and horses. The bacteria infection, on arrival in the human body can lead to Meningitis consequently cause death in 10% of reported cases. Another infection linked to bestiality is echinococcosis caused by a parasitic worm found in dog feces (Ferreyra, 2016). Rabies is a severe disease that might arise as a result of from dog and even horse saliva. More so, rabies is viral in nature and attacks the nervous system of the infected victim.
Apart from infectious diseases, other risk factors arising from sexual contact with animals relate to penile cancer. 44.9% of people who practice bestiality have a higher risk of penile cancer than the rest of the population who have a normal sexual preference (Ferreyra, 2016). In fact, other sexual illnesses may arise from the penile cancer according to scientists. According World Health organization, bestiality has numerous risks but health systems all over the world do not take keen interest in catering to the needs of victims falling sick from illnesses associated with bestiality thus can eventually lead to death of the people who engage in the activity.
Impacts of bestiality
Most people practicing bestiality claim to be happy and fulfilled with the act. From a clinical perspective, there is nothing experts can do after one starts having sexual relations with animals. The only way out is a firm motivation to stop the destructive behavior but desirability will remain even if one does not make contact with animals. Bestiality can grab the attention of psychologists and educators for a number of reasons (Ferreyra, 2016). Most people carry out the practice in secret and it results to depression and separation from the rest of the society. Nevertheless, perpetrators cannot reveal the practice unless they trust the other person. Health caregivers need to be free and confidential with persons with such challenges and cater to their needs accordingly. Simply put, when experts make an effort to gain understanding on issues surrounding bestiality it might reduce the incidences all over the world.
Bestiality and Legal issues
A legal attempt to throw out a law prohibition sexual relations with animals failed to achieve its desired effect on judges in Germany. The case undertaken by a man and woman who felt the need to have sexual relations with animals claimed that Germany’s laws go against the rights of self-determination (Ferreyra, 2016). The federal court maintained its stance on the laws and did not move an itch to compromise the law and give room to bestiality. The judges asserted the protection of the animals as he main reason behind the prohibition. The reaction of the judges is an indicator of the attitude of the society toward the act. Some parts of the society suggest that their religions do not allow the practice and it is an indecent act. Each person who coerces another individual to commit sexual relations with an animal is guilty and may end up in prison for more than ten years. Committing the offence in front of a child aged 16 years old or below may carry a life sentence. Every person has a responsibility of keeping animals safe from harm and fulfilling their desires through other means and preserve ethics that goes with preservation animal rights.
An unrecognized problem
Sexual relations with an animal is one of the common cultures but unspoken of in many communities around the world. Even though the law heavily punishes the practice based on ethical and religious standard, the era of information led to more logical views about the bestiality (Ferreyra, 2016). A keen look into bestiality reveals that criminal codes and laws enacted to safeguard animals have certain loopholes in terms of the manner in which they pursue and punish such acts. Occasionally, sexual contact between a human and animal carries the term fornication with a beast. Gravitating toward erotic relationships between animals and humans does not entail aspects of voyeurism. Thus, the concept of bestiality is not simple but intricate due to the varying contacts between man and animals. The in between subgroups formed within bestiality can blur the actual act and cause confusion. Hence, to stay within the relevant topic, one needs not to differentiate or organize bestiality into sub categories.
Bestiality Perception
In ancient times, sexual activity between man and animal occurred all the time and formed part of traditions and religion. Members of communities considered it over time as a fundamental rite of passage among some societies (Bonefeld, 2012). For example, the Fulani communities saw it as a process of reincarnation and one would transfer their spirit from their bodies to the animal they penetrated. Although most sexual acts have extensive recording and documentation, bestiality remains a mystery and a wonder to many scholars and even through the eyes of the public. Media coverage on the subject is a rare.
Legal discussion in the past
From a legal perspective, judges use various methods of dealing with bestiality case. (Bonefeld, 2012) Possibly, the first time bestiality appeared under law was under the Hittite laws dating back to 1300 where men practiced it and not women and carried a heavy penalty.
Current legal position on bestiality
Present criminal laws distinguish between law and ethical views and goes on to leave to responsibility to community members and among elderly people (Bonefeld, 2012). Over the past centuries, countries such as Russia rubbed of laws that dealt with bestiality in their criminal laws. Hence, bestiality becomes relevant and punishable when people harm animals during the practice.
Conclusion
Bestiality refers to humans having sex with animals. From time immemorial, humans practiced bestiality due to varying reasons. Sections of the society used it as a rite of passage while others claimed it heals certain venereal diseases. Whatever, the underlying cause, individuals practiced the act. Psychologists claim that there are no consistent statistics on the prevalence of the act. However, some facts unveil some truths about bestiality. There is no specific treatment toward people practicing bestiality and health systems all over the world rarely pay attention to illnesses arising from bestiality practices. Hence, people practicing sex with animals suffer from depression and even isolation from society.
Reference
Earls, C. M., & Lalumiere, M. L. (2009). A case study of preferential bestiality. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 38(4), 605-609.
Boggs, C. G. (2010). American bestiality: Sex, animals, and the construction of subjectivity. Cultural Critique, (76), 98-125.
Bonefeld, W. (2012). From humanity to nationality to bestiality: A polemic on alternatives without conclusion. ephemera, 12(4), 445.
Ferreyra, J. (2016). Deleuze's Bêtise: Dissolution and Genesis in the Properly Human Form of Bestiality. Comparative and Continental Philosophy, 8(1), 26-36.
