A controlled exposure technique in the elimination of exhibitionism

A novel behavioral treatment of three longstanding cases of exhibitionism is described. Treatment involved having subjects exhibit themselves at regular intervals under controlled conditions. Emphasis was placed on causing the subjects to experience the feelings of shame, guilt, and embarrassment that they typically felt after an exhibition, before an attempted exhibition. Follow-ups four years after treatment for two subjects and three years for a third, showed that none had experienced any urges to exhibit nor any actual exhibitions since termination of treatment.