Depending on the extent of the sexual preferences, it is often impossible for those in the environmental of person with a paraphilia to understand how the person behaves. Feelings of shame, contempt or anger towards the person are very frequent. This depends on how often the person comes into contact with justice or confronts others.

When the behavior is limited to a bedroom or a sex club it is often less annoying for the environment. It is important to transmit feelings in the right way to the person. Explain that you want to understand why the person behaves like this or how the person feels, but it is hard for you to imagine or you find it hard to talk about. Wanting to change the person is not a goal, being able to accept other tastes and preferences as long as they are not punishable, is important.