Pee Wee Herman did it and got booted from his playhouse. If you do it on campus, you could get 30 days in jail.”It,” in this case, is public masturbation.According to University Police, there were 14 reports of public indecency in 1997. Eight of the complaints were for masturbation. The remaining six were reports of people exposing themselves.Eight of the reports resulted in an arrest and charges were filed. Three of those arrested were masturbators, police reports said.Reports of public masturbation increase as spring approaches. Five of the masturbation reports occurred between March and June.All the suspects were men, reports said.In addition to public masturbation, incidents of public indecency include public urination and exposing genital areas, said police Chief Ron Michalec.Most sex offenses are committed for sexual gratification, he said.”(Sex offenses) are treated very seriously because they can manifest themselves into other sexually deviant behavior, sometimes violent,” he said. “The predator is capable of moving to another level of offense.”It is against the law to publicly expose genital areas in an offending, reckless manner, or engage in masturbation in public, but there is no law specifically for public masturbation, he said. Although no concrete theories have been developed, psychologists have speculated on why men publicly masturbate.Public masturbation is most likely the result of a disrupted life, said psychologist Jeff Sherill of Meers Inc.”There is some imbalance somewhere, whether it be lacking a mature, intimate relationship or meaningful familial relations,” Sherill said.Public masturbation is an inappropriate way to deal with a disruption is someone’s life, he said.”It is hard to tell why a disruption in someone’s life comes out in this avenue,” Sherill said.Public masturbating could be “a male display behavior” not too distant from other animals, but inappropriate in a civilized society, said Robert Birch, a psychologist specializing in sex therapy at Beechwold Family Counseling in Columbus.”(It’s) not much different than a peacock fanning his feathers.””It’s exhibitionism, plain and simple,” Birch said.Public sexual behavior is more likely to elicit a response, which is the motivating factor for public masturbators, he said.Birch said he does not agree that public masturbation is a result of a disrupted life.”Many men have things missing in their lives and they don’t go around showing their woodies,” Birch said. “You need to deal specifically with the problem and not waste time exploring your childhood. You can learn to manage your sexuality.”The person who develops definitive research that clearly explains why men have a compulsion to show an erect penis to their gender of choice will become famous, because there is little evidence supporting or refuting any theory, Birch said.Public indecency is a misdemeanor in Ohio. Maximum penalties include:

  • First conviction; 30 days in jail and a $250 fine.
  • Second conviction; 60 days in jail and a $500 fine.
  • Third conviction; 90 days in jail and a $750 fine.
  • Fourth conviction; six months in jail and a $1000 fine.