Voyeurism is
a practice in which an individual derives
sexual pleasure[?] from observing
other people. Voyeuristic practices may take a number of forms but its
characteristic feature is that the voyeur does not directly interact with the
pleasure-object (who, more often than not, does not know he/she is being
observed), instead observing him/her from a distance then
masturbating during
and/or after the observation. The observed pleasure-object may or may not be
actively engaged in a sexually explicit act.
Voyeurism is considered a deviant sexual act in most cultures, is most frequently practiced by males, and is tolerated to some degree in certain societies depending upon the circumstances (e.g., adolescent "Peeping Toms").
See also :