[ ARC forum 2 ]
Written by Paul B. at 06 Aug 2002 23:22:08: It gets worse.
As an answer to: Re: It gets worse. written by Rood at 06 Aug 2002 17:47:07:
> The Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy can certainly be understood in relation to infant circumcision and by those intact individuals who recommend the circumcision of adolescent boys, but I was referring to adults, who are obsessed and fixated by circumcision for themselves.
I may have been a trifle confusing here by citing two things using the word "proxy". Munchausen's syndrome is self-mutilation by proxy. The person does not necessarily harm themselves directly (although they may - a well-known "local" here sticks needles into herself and then gets the doctors to locate them again), but gets the doctors to do it for them - the object would appear to be the attention, but the psychology can be also surmised as a form of "punishment" for being "bad", and that is the link to being the victim of (child) abuse.
Now by all means, the body target of the mutilation can be localised and may well (perhaps not uncommonly in both sexes) focus on the genitals. I'll bet you have known examples.
"Munchausen's by Proxy" on the other hand, is parents abusing/ "punishing" their children. Separate, but related, matter.