Classical and Positivist Criminology on Voyeurism

Classical and Positivist Criminology on Voyeurism

Wong, P. T. (2020, August 28). The Big Read: Singapore’s voyeurism problem – what’s wrong
with men, or the world? TODAY.
https://www.todayonline.com/big-read/big-read-singapores-voyeurism-problem-whats-
wrong-men-or-world

Over the past 5 years, the rise in sexual offenses in Singapore such as outrage of modesty has
stirred public debate over whether the perpetrators had gotten off too lightly. This prompted a
government review of the penalties for such offenses. Criminal psychologists argue that the
root causes of voyeurism globally are multifaceted. The classification of voyeuristic disorder
in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) inevitably
points us to the complex relationship between criminality and mental illness and when the latter
should be used as a legal defense.

By applying classical notions of criminality and positivist theories around personality and
criminal behavior, and referencing credible empirical studies, appraise the arguments for and
against the punishment of voyeurs in relation to the impacts of law and order for public safety
and security in Singapore.