Editing Indecent exposure (section)

{{short description|Public indecency involving nudity}}
{{distinguish|Exhibitionism}}

{{for-multi|the album|Indecent Exposure (album)|the novel|Indecent Exposure (novel)}}
{{use dmy dates|date=August 2019}}{{more citations needed|date=November 2020}}

{{sex and the law}}

'''Indecent exposure''' is the deliberate public exposure by a person of a portion of their body in a manner contrary to local standards of appropriate behavior. Laws and social attitudes regarding indecent exposure vary significantly in different countries. It ranges from outright prohibition of the exposure of any body parts other than the hands or face to prohibition of exposure of certain body parts, such as the genital area, buttocks or breasts.

Decency is generally judged by the standards of the local community, which are seldom codified in specifics in law. Such standards may be based on religion, morality or tradition, or justified on the basis of "necessary to [[Public-order crime|public order]]".<ref>{{cite book |title=Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary |edition=Tenth |publisher=[[Merriam-Webster]] |year=2001 |chapter=Indecent exposure |page=589 |isbn=0-87779-713-7 }}</ref> Non-sexual [[exhibitionism]] or [[Nudity#Public nudity|public nudity]] is sometimes considered indecent exposure. If [[Human sexual activity|sexual act]]s are performed, with or without an element of nudity, this can be considered [[gross indecency]] in some jurisdictions, which is usually a more serious criminal offence.{{efn|Historically, gross indecency statutes often did not specifically define the crime itself, leaving this up to the determination of courts. In practice, gross indecency was used primarily to [[Criminalization of homosexuality|criminalize sexual activity between men]] that fell short of [[sodomy]] laws, though present-day statutes vary.}} In some countries, exposure of the body in breach of community standards of [[modesty]] is also considered to be public indecency.

The legal and community standards of what states of undress constitute indecent exposure vary considerably and depend on the context in which the exposure takes place. These standards have also varied over time, making the definition of indecent exposure a complex topic.

<gallery>
MIT streaker at HarvardYale game.jpg|[[Streaking]] is a type of indecent exposure.
Peeing males.jpg|Two men urinating in public, which is often perceived to be indecent exposure
</gallery>