Bestiality: An Overview and Analytic Discussion

What is it about?

Human–animal sexual contacts are widely practiced and not restricted to particular populations. A variety of animals have been used as sexual partners, but dogs and horses are the most common. What is not definite is whether one’s sexual orientation dictates the chosen sex of animals. That is to say that heterosexuals and bisexuals were the most dominant sexual orientation, albeit males and females reported to have engaged in same sex sexual encounters more often with male animals than female animals. Consequently, the relationship between sexual orientation and the sex of the animal is uncertain, yet it is clear that male animals are preferred. Moreover, rates and preferences may change due to an individual’s access, motivation, reasoning, or certain factors that may influence their decision to engage in bestiality. There are various factors which may promote an individual to sexually engage with animals some of which are more predominant than others, such as a rural background. Likewise, there are also myths that encourage an individual to engage in sexual activities with animals, such as the belief such actions may remedy diseases, enlarge genitals, and enhance their sexual prowess. Other reasons to engage sexually with animals beyond those that provide benefits are to address an individual’s imperfection, such as experiences with emotional abuse and the lack of ambition to pursue a relationship with a human ( for whatever reason).

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Why is it important?

The Internet has provided an additional and significantly larger environment for individuals to discuss all sorts of activities, including variant sexual behaviors. More importantly, the Internet has offered researchers an avenue to conduct studies in order to better ascertain individuals that sexually engage with animals, which may have not been possible through traditional data collection methods. Although this may be true, no study has utilized the Internet to question individuals about their sexual activities with animals since the early 2000s. The Internet should be viewed as an essential tool that can update historical research and help to clarify unanswered and ambiguous questions about human–animal sexual contacts. Altogether, the Internet has the potential to yield newfound findings regarding the behaviors of those who sexually engage with animals due to the fact that a grander audience is available, thus facilitating a determination as to whether the conclusions of past literature hold true today.