An obscene phone call is an unsolicited telephone call where a person uses profanity and/or sexual language to interact with someone who may be known to them or may be a complete stranger. Making obscene telephone calls for sexual arousal or other sexual pleasure is known as telephone scatologia and is considered a form of exhibitionism.
Status as a paraphilia
Telephone scatologia is usually classed as a
paraphilia from a psychiatric viewpoint. It is in the DSM-5 as an other specified paraphilic disorder. Related psychiatric terms (such as
coprophilia) were coined in Australia, the United States, and Germany; most of the pertinent literature is North American.
From the viewpoint of the recipient of the calls, obscene calls may be considered to be a form of sexual harassment,
stalking, or both.
Legal consequences
In some U.S. states, making obscene telephone calls is a
misdemeanor.
In the United Kingdom, obscene phone calls are punishable by a fine of up to £5,000 or up to six months in prison under the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994.
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target="_blank" rel="nofollow"> Nuisance/Malicious calls(archived), West Midlands Police
Reactions by unwilling recipients
Generally, unwilling recipients of obscene phone calls are advised to simply hang up on obscene callers and then report the incident to the telephone company or the police. Even when
Caller ID is not shown, 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
Mobile phone, and in these cases, a more extensive investigation is necessary. The prevalence of internet telephony, and sophisticated international operations have also stymied the investigation of nuisance phone calls.
See also
External links
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target="_blank" rel="nofollow"> Fact Sheet 3: How to Put an End to Unwanted or Harassing Phone Calls
