Scatologia, also called Coprolalia, deviant sexual practice in which sexual pleasure is obtained through the compulsive use of obscene language. The affected person commonly satisfies his desires through obscene telephone calls, usually to strangers. Such telephone encounters may be extremely frightening to the recipients, and this reaction may play a part in the arousal of the scatologist, who often masturbates during the call. Some sexual graffiti also may be related to this deviation.

An unrelated affliction, the compulsive use of obscene language, is associated with the neurological disorder known as Tourette’s syndrome (q.v.).