Infidelity rife in seedy cybersex world

Half of those who engage in cybersex are married or in a relationship, an Australian survey has found.

Infidelity is rife in the world of cybersex, new Australian research shows.

A study from the Swinburne University of Technology of 1,325 internet users found more than half of those who engaged in cybersex were married or in a serious relationship.

Psychologist and doctoral candidate Marcus Squirrell surveyed male and female internet users who regularly visited online sex, fetish and swinging sites to engage in online sexual activities.

Cybersex behaviours ranged from downloading erotic images and chatting online to using webcams to interact with others.

The survey found 55 per cent of respondents were either married or classified themselves as in a committed relationship.

Mr Squirrell also found that 65 per cent of respondents had met someone offline face-to-face after engaging in some form of sexual online activity with them.

Chat rooms can provide a safe environment for exploring sexuality and may increase a sense of connection to the community, Mr Squirrell said.

In particular, he found that chat rooms could provide a forum for people identifying as gay, lesbian or bisexual as a stepping stone to "coming out".

But for others, cybersex can become obsessive and compulsive.

"These people are putting so much energy into cybersex - in some cases up to 10 hours per day - that it is detracting from their relationship with their partner," he said.

"It can also adversely affect other areas of their lives, such as their education and employment."

A profile of the average cybersex participant emerged as mostly male, well-educated and with an average age of 41 years.

It also found women had a strong preference for interactive-type chat sites, while men preferred to look at sexual images.

The survey showed almost 40 per cent of respondents had stumbled across illegal online sites.

Mr Squirrell, who set up a clinic for people with cybersex addictions several months ago, says he has been "absolutely swamped" by new clients.

"Other practitioners have reported the same response," he said.

Mr Squirrell will present his findings at an Australian Psychological Society conference in Darwin later this month and hopes it will enable best-practice treatment of cybersex participants.

- AAP