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Current Biopsychosocial Science on Understanding BDSM / Kink
Abstract
The field of kink (or BDSM) studies has grown significantly in recent years, with several areas of study being initiated. This paper summarizes the current state of kink research, including prevalence rates; marginalization and stigma; key biological, psychological, and social research findings; clinical issues; and recommendations for further research. Theoretical frameworks such as minority stress, serious leisure, sexual orientation, personal growth and sensation-seeking theories appear to be useful frameworks outside of approaches that assume psychopathology as an etiological factor. Studies find the following results: higher levels of sensation-seeking; kink activities generating states of flow and transient hypofrontality; notable levels of gender, sexual orientation and relationship style diversity in kink samples; and higher levels of minority-stress related suicidality.
... . Further evidence shows that trauma and abuse prevalence in BDSM practitioners seems comparable to the general population (Williams & Sprott, 2022;Ten Birk et al., 2020). Regarding attachment styles, they also seem like the general population (Williams & Sprott, 2022;Brown et al., 2020). ...
... . Further evidence shows that trauma and abuse prevalence in BDSM practitioners seems comparable to the general population (Williams & Sprott, 2022;Ten Birk et al., 2020). Regarding attachment styles, they also seem like the general population (Williams & Sprott, 2022;Brown et al., 2020). In addition, one of the first and most relevant studies in the field was conducted by Wismeijer and van Assen (2013), and showed personality, attachment, and well-being differences in BDSM practitioners, with apparently more functional patterns. ...
... As suggested by the literature, results could be interpreted as BDSM being a leisure group of practices instead of pathological or dysfunctional expressions. More concretely, regarding administrations of intense sensations (usually regarding pain), role-playing exchanges of power, experiencing altered states of consciousness, and broadening sexual interests (Williams & Sprott, 2022;Labrecque et al., 2020). Moving beyond de-stigmatizing, BDSM could be considered a curative or spiritual practice delivered in collective supportive contexts (Cascalheira et al., 2021;Baker, 2016). ...
Bondage, Discipline, Sadism, and Masochism (BDSM) is a range of diversesexual practices. Stigma regarding BDSM is associated with dysfunctional personalities,insecure attachment styles, or damaged well-being. Previous studies have showncontrary evidence to these views. However, the replicability of these findings has notbeen properly studied. The present research provides a close replication study to testdifferences in personality, attachment, rejection sensitivity, and well-being betweenBDSM practitioners and non-practitioners. To overcome limitations in previous studies,this study provides a highly powered sample of a new population (Spanish, N = 1,907),including effect sizes, the presence and impact of LGTBIQA+ individuals, andassessing BDSM roles using an alternative classification. In addition, we exploreddifferences in associations between attachment styles, personality, and well-being inBDSM practitioners. As predicted, BDSM practitioners showed higher levels of secureattachment, conscientiousness, openness, and well-being while also lower levels ofinsecure attachments, rejection sensitivity, neuroticism, and agreeableness, counteringthe stigma. Gender, sexual orientations, and experience with BDSM showedexplanatory potential. Associations between attachment, personality, and well-beingwere invariant across BDSM practitioners and non-practitioners but also across BDSMroles. This is, BDSM practitioners share the same psychological structure as non-practitioners but also show more functional profiles. Thus, de-stigmatizing BDSMpopulations is reinforced and recommended. Limitations and implications for appliedand research audiences are discussed
... Contributors also offer vital new perspectives on intimate diversity, recognizing the rise in asexual spectrum identities [38], consensual nonmonogamies [39], kink identities [40], and 'sexpreneur' or sex worker identities [41]. The key paradigmatic shift in conceptions of intimate diversity in psychology is to move these forms out of the specter of pathology and cultural stigma, as was done in sociology in the late 20th century (e.g., Weinberg [42]), by recognizing the ways in which individuals find meaning and value in such configurations. ...
... Forms of intimacy once cast as 'deviant' or pathological d in a shift similar to that which occurred with homosexuality d are now recognized by scientists as legitimate forms of diversity, rooted in sexual desires and arousal patterns that are common in occurrence [52]. Such forms include asexuality [38], consensual nonmonogamies [39], and kink [40]. However, research suggests that individuals who embody these forms of intimate diversity experience renewed cultural stigma, as heightened visibility of diversity has come with rising vulnerability in a way that is similar to the experience of young people identifying more openly than ever with minoritized gender and sexual identity labels [53]. ...
... More concretely, individuals diverse in their gender or sexual identities continue to experience and report considerable stigma and prejudice, manifesting in continued health disparities for those who hold minoritized gender and sexual identities [55]. Forms of intimate diversity that have gained considerable visibility this century, namely consensual nonmonogamies and kink, remain highly stigmatized [39,40]. Perhaps, these groups will experience greater inclusivity as visibility moves toward normalization, such as experienced by gay men and lesbians in the latter 20th century [13], but this is not necessarily the case as prejudice and marginalization can become entrenched. ...
The twenty-first century has been a time of considerable change in cultural attitudes, social policies, and scientific understandings of sexuality and gender. This article introduces the special issue on sexual and gender diversity in this century, situating the endeavor in a new documentary paradigm for the social sciences which pushes us away from a concern with “causes” or “origins” of diverse forms of sexual and gender expression and toward a concern with documenting the lived experience of diversity. We highlight six broad themes contributors cover in the issue: (1) the need for new theories and paradigms to meet the scientific needs of a new century; (2) expansion beyond binary, categorical thinking of twentieth century paradigms and inclusivity of diverse intimate forms beyond the historic focus on homosexuality; (3) recognition of the politics of diversity and the endurance of ideologies of stigma and exclusion; (4) psychological vulnerability associated with increased visibility; (5) intersectionality; and (6) opportunities and challenges associated with social technologies unique to this century.
... Although BDSM scholarship, historically, is rooted in sexology and psychoanalysis, research activity over the past few decades is rapidly expanding and is thoroughly multidisciplinary (Simula, 2019;Williams & Sprott, 2022). Recently, there has been considerable research interest from diverse academic approaches; including sexology, cultural studies, critical race theory, feminist and queer theories; on power dynamics associated with intersectionality (i.e. ...
... gender, sexualities, race/ethnicity, class) and how such dynamics impact BDSM preferences and experiences (see Simula, 2019 for a review). Overall, current research suggests that interactions of social factors that shape individuals' unique identities and arousal patterns are complex and can vary considerably, even between persons with similar social positioning (Simula, 2019;Williams & Sprott, 2022). Indeed, BDSM experiences are highly subjective. ...
... 381). The lack of clarity concerning what constitutes disordered sexual interests and the general pathologization of sex practices that are not purely white cisgender heterosexual (cishetero) reproductive is unfortunate, given emergent research suggesting that (1) kink and BDSM practitioners 1 are socially, psychologically, and interpersonally welladjusted and (2) there are innumerous physical and mental health benefits associated with kink and BDSM (Connolly, 2006;Cross & Matheson, 2006;Jansen et al., 2021;Williams & Sprott, 2022). For example, kink and BDSM are cited as types of erotic or sex therapy, offering ...
... Previous studies on kink have called for more research on the potential physical, psychological, and social benefits of kink involvement, and the role of counselors in supporting kink practitioners with multiple marginalized identities (Hughes & Hammack, 2019;Williams & Sprott, 2022). The present article is one of several (Joy et al., 2024a(Joy et al., , 2024b, resulting from our overarching project, Puppy Philms (https://phillipjoy.ca/puppyfilms.html). ...
The aim of this research was to explore body image and well-being within the pup community for gay, bisexual, trans, and queer (GBTQ) men in Canada. Data was collected through cellphilming methods (production of short films by participants using their cellphones) and workshops from seventeen self-identifying GBTQ pups. Transcripts were analyzed through discourse analysis. Three discursive considerations were noted: 1) (re)defining sexual bodies, 2) wearing the pup hood, and 3) rejecting gender and gender norms. Implications for nutritional counselors working in the areas of body image are discussed.
... The uniqueness of this study also lies in the fact that it is among the first to utilize the BPSM in leisure studies. BPSM has previously been applied to studies on deviant behaviors such as substance abuse, risky sex behaviors, and gun violence (Barron et al., 2022;Skewes & Gonzalez, 2013;Williams & Sprott, 2022). BPSM is best suited for criminology studies because it attempts the quantification of the biological, psychological, and sociological intricacies of human existence and also allows for interdisciplinary collaboration (Bedoya and Portnoy, 2023). ...
Extant studies on gangs have primarily focused on the adverse effects of gang activity on communities and risk factors for involvement, while information on the impacts of engagement in deviant leisure activities associated with gangs on the health and well-being of gang members is lacking. Therefore, using constructivist grounded theory and the biopsychosocial model, this study explored the impacts of gang affiliation and related leisure on the physical and mental well-being and life prospects of former gang members. Data were collected through 39 in-depth interviews with 38 former gang members and recreation practitioners working with gangs. Findings revealed that gang-related leisure was detrimental to physical health, leading to acquired addictions, injuries, and disabilities. Mental health consequences included depression, suicidal ideation, post-traumatic stress disorder, sleep disorders, emotional detachment, and anger issues. These psychological traumas, guilt, self-doubts, trust issues, and the stigma of gang membership negatively affected their social relations and life prospects.
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... Most psychotherapists have limited, stigmatizing, and inaccurate information concerning individuals who engage in BDSM, may be uncomfortable working with such clients, employ unhelp-ful practices, or inappropriately pathologize their clients (Lawrence & Love-Crowell, 2007). Many psychology training programs do not provide much education on kink culture and alternative sexualities (Kelsey et al., 2013;Weitzman, 2006;Williams & Sprott, 2022). However, most clinicians in clinical practice will see a client from the kink/BDSM community at some point in their career. ...
There has been a recent movement to adopt a sex-positive framework into all areas of psychological practice, including research, practice, supervision, and training in psychology. However, incorporating a sex-positive approach to sex offense treatment has rarely been discussed. As clinicians move to more humanistic and rehabilitative approaches, sex-positivity should be considered. The current article will outline a case study of a client mandated for sex offense treatment who expressed interest in BDSM with his new partner and his therapist’s reactions to this information. Discussion for clinical training and supports for clinicians doing sex offense treatment will be offered.
Kink, often referred to as BDSM, is an important aspect of a sizable minority's sexual desires, practices, and personal relationships, yet there are few ways to assess kink engagement in a holistic manner. This study aimed to develop the Kink Orientation Scale (KOS), a novel short tool for measuring different aspects of kink sexuality. In phase one, 27 items were created and included in the initial scale based on a literature review and focus groups with kinky and non-kinky individuals. In phase two, the KOS was administered to 200 university students. Exploratory Factor Analyses (EFA) were used to determine the factor structure and dimensionality of the KOS, and we retained 18 items in the scale and identified five factors. In phase three, the 18 item KOS was administered to a kink sample of 1025 participants as a form of validation. Confirmatory Factor Analyses also identified five factors with a strong overlap to the EFA. The five factors were: kink identity; kink community; kink paraphernalia; kink practices; and sexual communication. The kink sample also provided higher scores on the KOS compared with the non-kink sample. This study shows the potential utility of the KOS in measuring kink engagement holistically.
p style="text-align: justify;">The aim of the presented study was to identify so called “mute” elements of social representations of the body. The sample consisted of representatives of the BDSM subculture at the age of 19 to 54 years (N=77 people, 40% women). The free association technique was used in order to reveal the social representations of the body. The obtained results indicate that the body (in groups of males and females) is represented through the antimony “man-woman” with the resulting attributes of each pole (“strength”- “beauty”), so the social representations of the body are crystallized around the corresponding elements: beauty - in the key element of the female body in the group of women, strength and muscles are the key elements in case of the male body in the group of men. In each case the normative and idealized representations of the body are revealed. In each case we can speak about normative and idealized representation of the body. The mute zone of the social representation (genital area) suits the logic of the male body vision, if we take into account the analysis of the male body through the prism of cultural history.</p
The twenty-first century has seen the proliferation of new sexual identity subcultures rooted in creative role-play dynamics, expanding our cultural and scientific understanding of diversity in sexuality and intimacy. In an international sample of 568 people who identified with the kink subculture of pup play, we analyzed responses to open-ended questions about the discovery of pup play and communities, definitions of pup play, and motivations for engagement. Four themes were identified: (1) social technologies as central to discovery of the subculture; (2) constructionist accounts of pup identity development emerging from relationships and exposure to other kink communities; (3) individual psychological benefits of subculture participation, including stress relief, relaxation, and pleasure; and (4) social psychological benefits in identity and community building. We situate these findings in relation to the expansion of diversity in sexual identity and intimacy in the twenty-first century, facilitated by the heightened visibility and opportunities for social and intimate creativity which have accompanied the growth of social media and exposure to new sexual stories.
Studies of sexuality have long been interested in understanding the construction of sexual subjectivity, especially amongst people whose participation in more nonnormative and kinkier forms of sex/uality have been discursively framed in terms of sexual and health “risk.” Here sexual subjectivity refers to a person’s sense of themself “as a sexual being who feels entitled to sexual pleasure and sexual safety, who makes active sexual choices, and who has an identity as a sexual being” (p. 6). This study explored what meanings fist-fuckers narratively draw on in understanding and interpreting their sexual subjectivity. Unstructured individual interviews were conducted with 32 gay South African men who fist-fuck. Guided by narrative theory and a thematic narrative analysis, six narratives were identified through which this sample of fist-fuckers constructed their sexual subjectivity as: kinkster, explorer, athlete, expert, lover, and community member. The results highlight that fist-fuckers construct and understand their sexual subjectivity through multiple and overlapping narratives of erotic desire and practice. These narratives not only work to affirmatively constitute the pursuit of fist-fucking as a personally meaningful, sexually fulfilling, and erotically legitimate form of satisfaction and play but, furthermore, facilitate identification with and membership of a distinct community of kink.
Purpose of Review
This review summarizes recent empirical work concerning the intersection of BDSM or kink sexualities and LGBTQ+ sexual orientation populations. This review helps clinicians understand how kink behaviors may have positive impacts on clients and patients.
Recent Findings
Several studies have noted that non-heterosexual people are more likely to report involvement in BDSM and kink. Studies have documented motivations for kink that include desires for peak experiences, healing from past trauma, increased intimacy, and exploration of the self. A particular aspect of psychological well-being, autonomy, appears to be an empowering aspect commonly experienced by LGBTQ+ people engaged in BDSM.
Summary
There is some indication in the literature that LGBTQ+ individuals are more likely than heterosexuals to be involved in alternative sexuality practices such as kink, or are more likely to disclose their involvement. Motivations to engage in kink behaviors include motivations towards personal growth and self-actualization, as well as using kink for self-regulation of levels of stimulation, arousal, anxiety, or depression. These indicate that kink can have positive effects on people’s health.
Unter hartem Sex (engl. rough sex) wird aggressiver konsensueller Sex verstanden. Dazu gehören beispielsweise Aktivitäten wie Aufs-Bett-Werfen, Kleider-Herunterreißen, Haare-Ziehen, Schlagen oder Würgen. Rough-Sex-Praktiken sind in den letzten Jahren medial sichtbarer und vermutlich auch populärer geworden. Ihnen sind ganze Pornografie-Gattungen gewidmet und sie werden in Sozialen Medien diskutiert. Große Bevölkerungsteile berichten eigene Erfahrungen mit ausgewählten harten Sexpraktiken. Die Normalisierung von Rough Sex wird mit verschiedenen Gefahren, insbesondere für Frauen, in Verbindung gebracht. Der vorliegende Beitrag fasst den aktuellen Diskussionsstand zusammen, weist auf Forschungslücken hin und diskutiert Konsequenzen für die sexualpädagogische Praxis. /// Rough sex is defined as aggressive consensual sex. This includes activities such as throwing a person onto the bed, ripping off clothes, pulling hair, spanking or choking. Rough sex practices have become more visible in the media and probably more popular in the population in recent years: Entire pornography genres are dedicated to them and they are discussed on social media. Large segments of the population report experiences with selected rough sex practices. The normalization of rough sex is associated with various dangers, especially for women. The current article summarizes the current state of the debate, points out research gaps, and discusses consequences for sex education.
Background and Aim: Today, in the world, there is a kind of sexual intercourse between couples that are Domination/Submission and Masochism/Sadism. In scientific and general literature, the term BDSM is used for these sorts of relationships, generally a type of power exchange or pain in the marriage between couples that leads to sexual arousal and sexual satisfaction. Previous literature has a pathological approach to this, but the focus of research in this field has shifted from pathology to depathologizing. The purpose of this study is to review articles related to domination/submission and Masochism/Sadism between couples. Methods: The present study was an analytical review study used to collect data from articles and books in reputable scientific databases. Results: Previous studies have shown that the attitude of the community and the therapists toward these types of relationships and stigmas has been negative. On the other hand, these relationships are related to personality traits, marital satisfaction, and sexual satisfaction. For example, the findings indicated that these people were more extroverted, more open than experienced, and were high in education and job. Conclusion: According to the findings, it can be said that this requires more articles, especially in Persian. Experts are also suggested to include the findings described in their work at the beginning of diagnosing and treating people who tend to have this type of relationship and examine the disorder's symptoms more accurately for diagnosis.
Introduction
The bondage/discipline, dominance/submission, sadism/masochism (BDSM) community has a history of stigmatization; however, potential positive factors that may help mitigate the impact of this stigmatization have not been fully explored. Noting the large overlap between BDSM and the LGBTQIA + communities, the current work identifies and compares the role of BDSM for heterosexual and LGBTQIA + community members.
Method
A survey was administered on http://fetlife.com to a sample of 289 BDSM practitioners in 2019. One hundred eighty-eight identified as LGBTQIA + and 101 identified as heterosexual, cisgender, and allosexual. Items assessed various factors such as discrimination, stigma, tabooness, outness, support, and community involvement.
Results
LGBTQIA + BDSM practitioners reported more severe experiences with discrimination than those endorsing a heterosexual identity. BDSM-related factors (e.g., stigma from society, perceived tabooness) did not significantly differ across groups. Consistent with prior literature, heterosexual practitioners reported more general social support from family and vanilla friends than LGBTQIA + practitioners did, but interestingly, LGBTQIA + practitioners reported more community involvement and connectedness than heterosexual practitioners.
Conclusions
LGBTQIA + and heterosexual practitioners reported similar levels of negative consequences from their BDSM identity. Nonetheless, in the relative absence of family and peer support, the BDSM community may provide a critical source of support and connectedness for LGBTQIA + practitioners.
Policy Implications
Membership in a historically “taboo” community can create unique psychosocial stressors and serve as a critical source of support for many who lack support from other sources. Thus, BDSM practitioners and BDSM-identified people should be considered part of an unrecognized sexual minority by healthcare providers.
Despite a recent increase in academic attention, little is known about how the general population perceives BDSM practitioners. Though the gay/lesbian community has undergone de-medicalization and de-stigmatization over time, the same process for BDSM practitioners is in its infancy. Past research suggests that BDSM practitioners do expect to be stigmatized by others, especially in the healthcare system; however, little is known about how the general population currently perceives and stigmatizes the BDSM community. In the current study, we found that the general population (N = 257) does stigmatize BDSM practitioners more than the gay/lesbian population, and both are stigmatized more than a low-stigma comparison group (people in romantic relationships), F(2, 253) = 21.70, p < .001, η2 = 0.15. These findings help to inform mental healthcare providers and the general population about BDSM practitioners, with the goal of inspiring additional research and activism aimed at combating misinformation and reducing stigma toward this population.
What if being a hot girl was a way of life and a way of conducting science? In this paper, we propose a new sex-positive, liberatory, intersectional paradigm for sex science, #HotGirlScience. The #HotGirlScience paradigm invites sexologists to study the fun, sex-positive aspects of Black sexualities and move toward liberation-focused inquiry where pleasure is central. #HotGirlScience is founded upon hip hop feminism, hood feminism, and the work of Black feminist scholars past and present. The #HotGirlScience paradigm differs from the previously-mentioned feminisms in its empirical potential. Four criteria of real #HotGirlScience apply to the entire research process and not just interpretation of results or theoretical foundations of the research. By explaining the four criteria: 1) doing me unapologetically, 2) having fun, 3) sex positivity, and 4) hyping up my friends, we present the #HotGirlScience paradigm's ability to inform the empirical study of the pleasurable, sex-positive aspects of Black sexual lives as a necessary contribution to the current sexology canon that all too frequently presents a deficit view of Black sexualities. Descriptions of the four elements of the paradigm, as well as implications for the use of this paradigm with marginalized populations in sex science, are discussed.
Introduction
BDSM is an abbreviation used to reference the concepts of bondage and discipline, dominance and submission, sadism and masochism, enacted by power exchanges between consensual partners. In recent years, attention has shifted from the idea of BDSM as a pathological and tabooed niche practice towards viewing BDSM as a healthy form of intimacy.
Aim
This systematic review brings together all existing literature on the biology of BDSM and places it in a broader biological context.
Method
A systematic search was conducted on Pubmed, Web of Science and PsycARTICLES, of which ten articles are included and discussed in this systematic review.
Results
There is evidence for cortisol changes in submissives as a result of a BDSM interaction, suggesting involvement of the physiological stress system. Endocannabinoid changes implicate the pleasure and reward system. In dominants, this biologically measured pleasure seemed to be dependent on power play rather than pain play. Testosterone and oxytocin are also implicated in BDSM, though their role is less evident. Research into brain region activity patterns related to BDSM interest suggests a role for the parietal operculum and ventral striatum in the context of the pleasure and reward system, the primary and secondary somatosensory cortex in the context of pain perception, empathy-related circuits such as the anterior insula (AI), anterior midcingulate cortex (ACC) and sensorimotor cortex and the left frontal cortex in the context of social and sexual interactions. Pain thresholds are shown to be higher in submissive individuals and a BDSM interaction may cause pain thresholds to rise in submissives as well.
Conclusion
BDSM interactions are complex and influenced by several psychological, social and biological processes. Though research is limited, there is emerging evidence for an interaction between several biological systems involved in these types of interests and activities. This means there is an important role for future research to replicate and supplement current results.
The bondage-discipline, dominance-submission, and sadism-masochism (BDSM) community has achieved diversity with respect to gender identity and sexual orientation yet does so to a lesser extent with respect to race and ethnicity. A total of 398 BDSM practitioners recruited in 2018 and 2019 from BDSM conferences located within the Southern, Midwestern, and Western regions of the U.S., as well as online, completed surveys asking about racial and ethnic discrimination, fetishization, and inclusivity. People of color were 16 times more likely than non-people of color to feel discriminated against at BDSM events and 17 times more likely to feel fetishized. Qualitative results included troubling stories of overt racism and offensive racial slurs, and examples of microaggressions, feelings of isolation, and feelings of being dismissed. The results suggest that organizations can increase inclusivity by understanding the unique costs faced by people of color with an awareness that these costs might be invisible to non-people of color, diversifying positions of authority and leadership, and teaching well-meaning members what types of behaviors could create a hostile environment.
Background
Kink-involved people engage in atypical erotic activities such as bondage, rough sex, and other fetish activities that might risk injury or medical complication. To date, however, no one has examined the rate of injury or healthcare utilization for people who engage in these activities.
Aim
To describe the type and rate of injuries from kink activities, and the use of healthcare by kink-involved people, including how many people disclose their involvement in kink when seeking care.
Methods
A survey of 1,398 kink-involved or kink-identified people, using a convenience sampling method.
Outcomes
The study is the first to report on rates of injury and disclosure of kink involvement to care providers using a large community sample of kink-involved people.
Results
A high number of participants did not disclose their kink behavior to their physical healthcare clinician (58.3%) or to their mental healthcare clinician (49.6%). Past experiences of kink-related injuries were relatively common (13.5%), as was the number of people who reported delaying or avoiding healthcare because of anticipated or perceived stigma for kink involvement (19.0%).
Clinical Translation
The findings of the current study point to the need for clinicians to address barriers to culturally competent care for kink-involved people. Anticipated stigma leads to non-disclosure of kink involvement and delay in seeking care, thereby creating barriers to health and well-being.
Strengths & Limitations
Strengths include a sample size large enough to examine regression models to predict disclosure to care providers, and lifetime rates of injury from kink activities overall. Limitations include the use of a convenience sampling method and self-report survey design, which affect the generalizability of the results.
Conclusion
The patterns of anticipated stigma, delay or avoidance of care, and concealment of kink and/or BDSM involvement fit the Minority Stress Model, and we argue that kink-identified people should be considered a sexual minority for the purposes of healthcare.
Sprott RA, Randall A, Smith K et al. Rates of Injury and Healthcare Utilization for Kink-Identified Patients. J Sex Med 2021;XX:XXX–XXX.
People who engage in both kink and consensual non-monogamy (CNM) have received little attention in research. The present article reports on the characteristics, relationship experiences, and unique motivations for engaging in CNM of kinky and consensually non-monogamous individuals using data from two U.S. samples—one large, national (N = 690) quantitative survey, and one qualitative study (N = 70) of adults in Northern California. The results describe the prevalence of universal (e.g., jealousy, sexual desire discrepancy) and population-specific relationship experiences (e.g., kink interest discrepancy, “coming out” about relationship structure). Findings indicate that discrepancies in desire for kink are a common relationship experience for kink–CNM individuals and that managing kink interests is an important motivation for CNM in this particular population. Implications for future research and clinical practice with kinky and consensually non-monogamous individuals are discussed.
Kink practitioners have adopted phrases, like “safe, sane and consensual” (SSC), to describe a non-pathological approach in considering risk and harm in kink practices. However, little is known about how risk and consent are negotiated online, particularly when the kink activities occur in private rather than the public or semi-public spaces of kink community venues or events. Drawing on 30 in-depth interviews with self-identified kinky gay and bisexual men, this article examines how risk and consent are discussed when organizing kink sessions through online platforms. Most participants were unaware of SSC or alternatives. Instead, participants employed diverse methods of negotiating consent and risk which predominantly involved indepth communication online. Interestingly, participants were more concerned with the risks associated with meeting others online, such as catfishing, than the risks involved with kink. Finally, some participants described a laissez-faire approach to their kink sessions through not planning or discussing risk and consent beforehand
Historically, writers from within and outside the BDSM/Leather community have argued that long-term BDSM relationships are likely to fail due to the incompatibility between satisfying SM and romantic affection (Townsend, 1972) and the unlikelihood of finding a perfect match of fetishes and interests (Money, 1986). The present study tested these arguments using in-depth interviews with 33 individuals in 17 long-term BDSM relationships. Qualitative and quantitative methods were used to understand the dynamics of the relationships including the ways the partners met, formed their relationship, negotiated the scope of their power exchange, and navigated the challenges of an unconventional relationship style. Compatibility regarding dominance and submission appeared more important than compatibility regarding sadism and masochism or specific BDSM activities. Power exchange appears to serve purposes beyond sexual satisfaction, including facilitating partner bonding and providing a sense of security. Key relationship values that emerged across couples include a commitment to communication and transparency, a high level of trust, a focus on the partner's happiness, and the co-construction of a reality that satisfies the needs of both partners. The use of rituals and protocol in difficult times returned the partners to a state of connection to each other, and this re-established bond helped the partners resolve the present upset. The use of deeper protocol when issues arise is contrary to prevailing community rhetoric that advises dropping out of role to solve issues. Thus, rituals give these individuals a different, possibly safer, way to interact so that conflict doesn't damage their relationships. Results demonstrate that long-term BDSM relationships exist and can be highly functional.
Despite the gaining popularity in mainstream media of the phenomenon that is BDSM, empirical research on the motives and underlying psychological mechanisms driving BDSM practitioners is scarce. The current study focused on the potential driving roles of sensation seeking and coping styles in BDSM-related interests and behavior. A cross-sectional survey questionnaire was completed by 256 Dutch-speaking BDSM practitioners (110 men, 135 women, 7 gender fluid, 2 genderless, 1 other not specified), 1 missing (this participant did not answer the question regarding gender, but did answer all other survey items) and a matched control group lacking any BDSM interest recruited from the general Belgian population (N = 300; 135 men, 158 women, 4 gender fluid, 3 genderless). The questionnaire consisted of several items surveying different BDSM identities and interest levels of BDSM-related activities, an adapted version of the Dutch Sensation Seeking Scale, and items querying seven coping styles. Compared to controls, BDSM practitioners reported significantly higher levels of sensation seeking for all dimensions (experience seeking, thrill seeking, and distraction seeking), as well as the use of more active coping skills such as problem solving and taking action. Gender differentiated which specific coping skills were being used with women seeking out more emotional support and comfort and reaching out more for help and advice in both the BDSM and control group, and men taking more action and seeking distraction in leisure. About 40% of the practitioners reported using BDSM itself as a coping strategy. Further research is needed to explore the link between coping and sexuality in general, and to other psychological processes that drive BDSM interests in order to destigmatize and normalize consensual BDSM-related activities within the general population.
Suicide-related behavior (SRB) is a mental health disparity experienced by the alternative sexuality community. We assessed mental health, relationship orientation, marginalized identities (i.e., sexual orientation minority, gender minority, racial minority, ethnic minority, and lower education), and preferences in information processing (PIP) as factors differentiating lifetime SRB groups. An online cross-sectional survey study was conducted in 2018. Members of the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom (NCSF; n = 334) took part. Bivariate analyses identified the following SRB risk factors: female and transgender/gender non-binary identity, sexual orientation minority identity, lower education, suicide attempt/death exposure, Need for Affect (NFA) Avoidance, depression, and anxiety. Monogamous relationship orientation was a protective factor. Multi-nomial regression revealed the following: (1) monogamous relationship orientation was a protective factor for suicidal ideation and attempt; (2) lower education was a risk factor for suicide attempt; (3) anxiety was a risk factor for suicide attempt; and (4) depression was a risk factor for suicidal ideation. A two-way interaction showed that elevated NFA Approach buffered the negative impacts of depression. Relationship orientation, several marginalized identities (i.e., based on gender, sexual orientation, and educational level), and PIP all contributed uniquely to SRB. Further study is necessary to understand the role of relationship orientation with suicide. Health education and suicide prevention efforts with NCSF should be tailored to account for marginalized identity, mental health, and NFA factors.
IntroductionBDSM is a prevalent type of sexual expression that refers to Bondage and Discipline (BD), Dominance and Submission (DS), and Sadism and Masochism (SM). It has been speculated that a substantial percentage of BDSM practitioners have experienced (sexual) trauma in the past. Attachment style is an additional factor resulting from early life dynamics that has been suggested to potentially influence BDSM interests. This study will investigate to what extent BDSM interests are related to trauma and attachment style, while differentiating between BDSM community practitioners and private practitioners.MethodsA group of 771 BDSM practitioners and 518 non-practitioners from the general population completed a survey in 2017 assessing BDSM interests as well as the Brief Trauma Questionnaire to gauge traumatic events and the Relationships Questionnaire to assess attachment style.ResultsCommunity BDSM practitioners and private practitioners reported higher levels of physical abuse in adulthood but no significant differences emerged for other traumatic experiences including childhood physical abuse or unwanted sexual trauma. Surprisingly, BDSM practitioners had more secure and at the same time more anxious-preoccupied attachment styles compared to non-practitioners. Besides, secure attachment style was associated with dominance, whereas the anxious-avoidant attachment style was associated with submissiveness. Intensity of BDSM interest was predicted by secure attachment style, gender, sexual orientation, and living area.Conclusions
Thus, our findings do not support the hypothesis of BDSM being a maladaptive coping mechanism in response to early life dynamics.Policy ImplicationsBDSM practices deserve perception as normal sexual practice free from stigmatization rather than deviant behavior.
BDSM (bondage, discipline, dominance, submission, and sadomasochism) encompasses a diverse set of sexual interests. Research interests in BDSM have been historically underpinned by examining potential mental health issues, unhealthy fixations on specific sexual behaviors, and/or the presence of childhood trauma, as is predicted by psychopathological and psycho-10 analytic models. The objective of this scoping review was to provide an overview of the current landscape of BDSM research, including incidence rates, evidence for psychopathological, psychoanalytical, biological, and social etiological factors, demographics of BDSM practitioners , and the psychological correlates of those with BDSM interests. After the literature search and screening process, 60 articles were included. BDSM related fantasies were found to 15 be common (40-70%) in both males and females, while about 20% reported engaging in BDSM. Results show little support for psychopathologic or psychoanalytic models. In the selected samples studied, BDSM practitioners appear to be white, well educated, young, and do not show higher rates of mental health or relationship problems. Research supports BDSM being used as a broadening of sexual interests and behaviors instead of a fixation on a specific interest. Future 20 empirical research should focus on non-pathological models of BDSM, discrimination of BDSM practitioners, interpersonal relationships, and biological factors.
Purpose of Review
This review summarizes recent empirical and theoretical scholarship pertaining to two primary ways that BDSM is conceptualized, specifically as a unique sexual orientation or as a form of leisure experience. This review helps clinicians understand how BDSM is currently positioned by scholars and by some within the BDSM community.
Recent Findings
Recent studies have found strong support for both the sexual orientation and leisure perspectives, distinctly. The sexual orientation approach currently focuses on a somewhat narrow segment of highly invested BDSM participants, while the leisure approach accounts for a broad range of diverse participation and experience.
Summary
BDSM can be understood as both an orientation and as leisure for many but not all participants. Both perspectives share the same underlying multidisciplinary substrate. Although the emphases of the orientation and leisure approaches are different to some degree, the sexual orientation perspective (OP) and the serious leisure perspective (SLP) seem to account equally well for sexual identity centered on BDSM. Understanding both perspectives provides a more complete understanding of the variation and complexity of BDSM.
Background: BDSM (Bondage and discipline, Dominance and submission, and Sadism and Masochism) increasingly receives attention from the scientific community. Where earlier research efforts mainly focused on epidemiological characteristics, psychological and biological factors driving BDSM preferences have recently gained interest as well.
Aim and Methods: The current systematic review brings together all the
existing literature on BDSM from a biopsychosocial perspective.
Results: Biological factors like gender identity, sex hormone levels and the neurological constitution of the brain’s pain and reward systems influence BDSM orientation. With regard to psychological factors, both personality traits (f.i. higher levels of openness or extraversion) and the presence of a personality disorder have been associated to a heightened BDSM interest, although only limited supporting evidence is available. Additionally, sensation seeking levels and impulsivity seem to contribute, as they presumably guide one’s drive to explore new and/or more intense
kinks. As attachment styles impact couple dynamics they also influence willingness to explore limits in a BDSM context. Lastly, education levels impact relational and/or sexual dynamics.
Strengths and Limitations: The limitations of the current review reflect those of the topical scientific literature. Although the number of studies focused on all aspects of BDSM is exponentially growing, most of these are only descriptive and very few focus on underlying driving processes.
Conclusion: From this biopsychosocial perspective, we offer a dimensional approach while integrating the factors driving the onset and evolution of BDSM interests.
Since the explosion of social scientific and sociological research on BDSM in the late 1990s and early 2000s, the field has grown exponentially. In this review, I identify three particularly fruitful recent lines of research in sociological and related approaches to BDSM. First, I discuss work that critically analyzes the meaning(s) of BDSM for participants and the role of debates about the sexual and the erotic in relation to BDSM. Second, I discuss work on BDSM identities, including scholarship that examines BDSM identities in relation to other identities. Here, I also discuss emerging lines of scholarship that focus on the ways in which privileges (particularly race/ethnicity and class) shape identification with and access to BDSM communities. Third, I discuss work on BDSM communities, examining the ways that community organization shapes BDSM experiences. I conclude with suggestions for future research in the field including deepening and broadening intersectional analyses of BDSM experiences, exploring specialized roles and identities that exist within the broader BDSM umbrella, and investigating similarities and differences between those who participate in BDSM on a time‐limited basis versus those for whom BDSM is an ongoing, continual core aspect of identity.
Recognition of sexual and gender diversity in the 21st century challenges normative assumptions of intimacy that privilege heterosexual monogamy and the biological family unit, presume binary cisgender identities, essentialize binary sexual identities, and view sexual or romantic desire as necessary. We propose a queer paradigm to study relationship diversity grounded in seven axioms: intimacy may occur (1) within relationships featuring any combination of cisgender, transgender, or nonbinary identities; (2) with people of multiple gender identities across the life course; (3) in multiple relationships simultaneously with consent; (4) within relationships characterized by consensual asymmetry, power exchange, or role-play; (5) in the absence or limited experience of sexual or romantic desire; (6) in the context of a chosen rather than biological family; and (7) in other possible forms yet unknown. We review research on queer relational forms, including same-sex relationships; relationships in which one or more partners identify as transgender, gender nonbinary, bisexual, pansexual, sexually fluid, “mostly” straight, asexual, or aromantic; polyamory and other forms of consensual nonmonogamy; kink/fetish relationships; and chosen families. We argue that a queer paradigm shifts the dominant scientific conception of relationships away from the confines of normativity toward an embrace of diversity, fluidity, and possibility.
Hate crimes remain pressing traumatic events for sexual orientation minority adults. Previous literature documents patterns in which hate crime victimization is associated with elevated risk for poor mental health. The present paper held 2 aims to advance literature. First, we investigated the rates and types of hate crime victimization among sexual orientation minority adults. Second, adopting a mental health amplification risk model, we evaluated whether symptoms of depression, impulsivity, or post-traumatic stress exacerbated the hate crime victimization–suicide risk link. Participants were 521 adult sexual orientation minority-identifying members of the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom (i.e., a bondage and discipline, and sadomasochism-identifying sexuality special interest group). Participants completed demographic and mental health inventories via online administration. Results showed: (1) low rates of total lifetime hate crime victimization and (2) higher rates of interpersonal violence compared to property crime victimization within the sample. Regression results showed: (1) independent positive main effects of all 3 mental health symptom categories with suicide risk; (2) an interaction pattern in which impulsivity was positively associated with suicide risk for non-victims; and (3) an interaction pattern in which post-traumatic stress was positively associated with suicide risk for hate crime victims and non-victims. Results are discussed concerning implications for trauma-informed mental healthcare, mental health amplification models, and hate crime and suicide prevention policies.
Sexual arousal by dominance and submissiveness was long considered as pathology. Surprisingly, approximately half of respondents (n = 673) were excited by their partner’s submission or their own submission. A strong preference was found in 8.2% of respondents. 6.1% of respondents were not even excited by equality, but only by disparity. The respondents differed in the type of disparity that they prefer, and how strongly they preferred this disparity. We suggest that sexual arousal by dominance and submissiveness is related to a common mating strategy.
In 2015, we conducted a cross-sectional, Internet-based, U.S. nationally representative probability survey of 2,021 adults (975 men, 1,046 women) focused on a broad range of sexual behaviors. Individuals invited to participate were from the GfK KnowledgePanel®. The survey was titled the 2015 Sexual Exploration in America Study and survey completion took about 12 to 15 minutes. The survey was confidential and the researchers never had access to respondents’ identifiers. Respondents reported on demographic items, lifetime and recent sexual behaviors, and the appeal of 50+ sexual behaviors. Most (>80%) reported lifetime masturbation, vaginal sex, and oral sex. Lifetime anal sex was reported by 43% of men (insertive) and 37% of women (receptive). Common lifetime sexual behaviors included wearing sexy lingerie/underwear (75% women, 26% men), sending/receiving digital nude/semi-nude photos (54% women, 65% men), reading erotic stories (57% of participants), public sex (≥43%), role-playing (≥22%), tying/being tied up (≥20%), spanking (≥30%), and watching sexually explicit videos/DVDs (60% women, 82% men). Having engaged in threesomes (10% women, 18% men) and playful whipping (≥13%) were less common. Lifetime group sex, sex parties, taking a sexuality class/workshop, and going to BDSM parties were uncommon (each <8%). More Americans identified behaviors as “appealing” than had engaged in them. Romantic/affectionate behaviors were among those most commonly identified as appealing for both men and women. The appeal of particular behaviors was associated with greater odds that the individual had ever engaged in the behavior. This study contributes to our understanding of more diverse adult sexual behaviors than has previously been captured in U.S. nationally representative probability surveys. Implications for sexuality educators, clinicians, and individuals in the general population are discussed.
Background:
Bondage and discipline, dominance and submission, and sadism and masochism (BDSM) is gaining popularity through the mainstream media. Nevertheless, very little is known about the prevalence of BDSM-related fantasies and activities in the general population.
Aim:
To determine the prevalence of BDSM fantasies and behavioral involvement in four different age groups of the general population in Belgium.
Methods:
By use of a cross-sectional survey questionnaire, the level of interest in several BDSM-related activities was investigated in a sample representative of the general Belgian population (N = 1,027). The questionnaire evaluated interest in 54 BDSM activities and 14 fetishes. Self-identification as BDSM practitioner, situational context of BDSM practice, age at awareness of these interests, and transparency to others were queried.
Outcomes:
Individual item scores and summary scores on four BDSM categories were included in the analyses.
Results:
A high interest in BDSM-related activities in the general population was found because 46.8% of the total sample had ever performed at least one BDSM-related activity and an additional 22% indicated having (had) fantasies about it. Interestingly, 12.5% of the total population indicated performing at least one BDSM-related activity on a regular basis. When asked whether they saw themselves as being interested in BDSM, 26% stated this to be the case and 7.6% self-identified as BDSM practitioners. Interests in dominant and submissive activities were comparable and, remarkably, were highly intercorrelated. BDSM and fetish interests were significantly higher in men than in women. The older group (48-65 years) had significantly lower BDSM scores compared with their younger peers. Of participants with a BDSM interest, 61.4% became aware of it before 25 years of age.
Clinical implications:
There is a high level of interest in BDSM in the general population, which strongly argues against stigmatization and pathologic characterization of these interests.
Strengths and limitations:
This is the first thorough study concerning prevalence of interest in and fantasies about a wide range of BDSM-related activities in the general population worldwide. Although our findings tend to argue against it, we cannot completely rule out participation bias introduced by non-interest in the non-completers. In addition, some topics might have been subject to interpretation by the respondents.
Conclusion:
Interest in BDSM is present in most of the general population. Further research is needed to destigmatize it by confirming BDSM as a leisurely preference rather than a psychiatric affliction. Holvoet L, Huys W, Coppens V, et al. Fifty Shades of Belgian Gray: The Prevalence of BDSM-Related Fantasies and Activities in the General Population. J Sex Med 2017;XX:XXX-XXX.
Purpose of review
This review is to characterize the theoretical and empirical literature about alternative sexual behaviors, predominantly known under the umbrella of bondage and discipline, dominance and submission, and sadism and masochism (BDSM, also known as “kink”). The overview is to aid the clinician in understanding how particular studies might fit into the larger context of the scholarly and empirical literature in order to judge the generalizability of conclusions. The specific concern of whether there are health disparities for this stigmatized sexuality is considered and explored.
Recent findings
The literature contains a wide range of positions and perspectives, ranging from always pathologizing BDSM behavior to proposing therapeutic functions of BDSM behavior. There are significant differences across professions in treatment of BDSM, and the medical literature is noted for being disorganized and piecemeal and starting to change over the past 5 years in ways that addresses the earlier problematic approaches that may have hindered clinical practice.
Summary
Empirical evidence suggests significant stigma impacting the health of BDSM-identified patients and impacting the healthcare service provided to kinky sex practitioners. The empirical and scholarly literature about BDSM or kink demonstrates a trend that addresses the stigma of alternative sexualities, but more work is needed.
Introduction:
The term kink describes sexual behaviors and identities encompassing bondage, discipline, domination and submission, and sadism and masochism (collectively known as BDSM) and sexual fetishism. Individuals who engage in kink could be at risk for health complications because of their sexual behaviors, and they could be vulnerable to stigma in the health care setting. However, although previous research has addressed experiences in mental health care, very little research has detailed the medical care experiences of kink-oriented patients.
Aim:
To broadly explore the health care experiences of kink-oriented patients using a community-engaged research approach.
Methods:
As part of the Kink Health Project, we gathered qualitative data from 115 kink-oriented San Francisco area residents using focus groups and interviews. Interview questions were generated in collaboration with a community advisory board. Data were analyzed using a thematic analysis approach.
Main outcome measures:
Themes relating to kink-oriented patients' experience with health and healthcare.
Results:
Major themes included (i) kink and physical health, (ii) sociocultural aspects of kink orientation, (iii) the role of stigma in shaping health care interactions, (iv) coming out to health care providers, and (v) working toward a vision of kink-aware medical care. The study found that kink-oriented patients have genuine health care needs relating to their kink behaviors and social context. Most patients would prefer to be out to their health care providers so they can receive individualized care. However, fewer than half were out to their current provider, with anticipated stigma being the most common reason for avoiding disclosure. Patients are often concerned that clinicians will confuse their behaviors with intimate partner violence and they emphasized the consensual nature of their kink interactions.
Conclusion:
Like other sexual minorities, kink-oriented patients have a desire to engage with their health care providers in meaningful discussions about their health risks, their identities, and their communities without fear of being judged. Additional research is needed to explore the experiences of kink-oriented patients in other areas of the country and internationally.
Researchers studying consensual bondage/discipline, dominance/submission, and sadism/masochism (BDSM) have theorized that individuals pursue BDSM activities, in part, due to the pleasant altered states of consciousness these activities produce. However, to date, no research has tested whether BDSM activities actually facilitate altered states. To this end, we randomly assigned 14 experienced BDSM practitioners to the bottom role (the person who is bound, receiving stimulation, or following orders) or the top role (the person providing stimulation, orders, or structure) for a BDSM scene. Results suggest that topping was associated with an altered state aligned with Csikszentmihalyi?s (1991) flow (measured with the Flow State Scale), and bottoming was associated with an altered state aligned with Dietrich?s (2003) transient hypofrontality (measured with a Stroop test) as well as some facets of flow. Additional results suggest that BDSM activities were associated with reductions in psychological stress and negative affect, and increases in sexual arousal.
Introduction:
Recent studies have suggested that, in contrast to traditional psychopathologic explanations, bondage and discipline, dominance and submission, and sadomasochism (BDSM) could be understood as recreational leisure. However, the theoretical framing of BDSM as potential leisure has not been empirically explored.
Aim:
To conduct an initial empirical exploration to determine whether BDSM experience fits established characteristics of recreational leisure.
Methods:
A convenience sample of BDSM participants (N = 935) completed an online survey (9 demographic questions and 17 leisure questions) that assessed BDSM experience according to important attributes of leisure. Responses also were assessed and statistically compared as being primarily casual or serious leisure according to general BDSM identities (ie, dominants vs submissives vs switches).
Main outcome measures:
BDSM experiences were assessed as a form of potential leisure.
Results:
Most BDSM experiences met leisure criteria. Participants reported that "most of the time or nearly always" BDSM was associated with a sense of personal freedom (89.7% of participants), pleasure or enjoyment (98.5%), sense of adventure (90.7%), use of personal skills (90.8%), relaxation or decreased stress (91.4%), self-expression or exploration (90.6%), and positive emotions (96.6%). BDSM seemed to function as primarily serious, rather than casual, leisure, but important statistical differences were observed based on specific BDSM identities.
Conclusion:
A leisure science perspective could be valuable to researchers and clinicians in reinterpreting the wide range of diverse BDSM motivations and practices.
Abstract
Paraphilic sexual interests are defined as unusual or anomalous, but their actual occurrence in non-clinical samples is still unknown. This study looks at desire for and experience of paraphilic behaviors in a sample of adult men and women in the general population. A secondary goal is to compare the results of two survey modes – traditional land-line telephone versus online. A total of 1,040 persons classified according to age, gender, education, ethnic background, religious beliefs, and area of residency and corresponding to the norm for the province of Québec were interviewed. Nearly half of this sample expressed interest in at least one paraphilic category and approximately a third had had experience with such a practice at least once. Voyeurism, fetishism, frotteurism, and masochism interested both male and female respondents at levels above what is usually considered to be statistically unusual (15.9%). Interestingly, levels of interest in fetishism and masochism were not significantly different for men and women. Masochism was significantly linked with higher satisfaction with one's own sexual life. As expected, the online mode generated more acknowledgment of paraphilic interest than the telephone mode. These results call into question the current definition of normal (normophilic) vs. anomalous (paraphilic) sexual behaviors.
This study presents the narratives and experiences of 30 gay and bisexual men who participate in a behavior known as "pup play." Never empirically studied before, we use in-depth interviews and a modified form of grounded theory to describe the dynamics of pup play and develop a conceptual framework with which to understand it. We discuss the dynamics of pup play, demonstrating that it primarily consists of mimicking the behaviors and adopting the role of a dog. We show that the majority of participants use pup play for sexual satisfaction. It is also a form of relaxation, demonstrated primarily through the existence of a "headspace." We classify pup play as a kink, and find no evidence for the framing of it as a form of zoophilia. We call for further research on pup play as a sexual kink and leisure activity from both qualitative and quantitative perspectives.
IntroductionAlthough several theories and treatment plans use unusual sexual fantasies (SF) as a way to identify deviancy, they seldom describe how the fantasies referred to were determined to be unusual.AimThe main goal of this study was to determine which SF are rare, unusual, common, or typical from a statistical point of view among a relatively large sample of adults recruited from the general population. A secondary goal was to provide a statistical comparison of the nature and intensity of sexual fantasies for men and women. This study also aims at demonstrating with both quantitative and qualitative analyses that certain fantasies often considered to be unusual are common.Methods
An Internet survey was conducted with 1,516 adults (799 ♀; 717 ♂) who ranked 55 different SF and wrote their own favorite SF. Each SF was rated as statistically rare (2.3% or less), unusual (15.9% or less), common (more than 50%), or typical (more than 84.1% of the sample).Main Outcome MeasuresAn extended version of the Wilson's Sex Fantasy Questionnaire with an open question.ResultsOnly two sexual fantasies were found to be rare for women or men, while nine others were unusual. Thirty sexual fantasies were common for one or both genders, and only five were typical. These results were confirmed with qualitative analyses. Submission and domination themes were not only common for both men and women, but they were also significantly related to each other. Moreover, the presence of a single submissive fantasy was a significant predictor of overall scores for all SF in both genders.Conclusion
Care should be taken before labeling an SF as unusual, let alone deviant. It suggested that the focus should be on the effect of a sexual fantasy rather than its content. Joyal CC, Cossette A, and Lapierre V. What exactly is an unusual sexual fantasy? J Sex Med **;**:**–**.
This article reviews recent research on sadomasochistically oriented behaviour. Topics include: (a) demographics of individuals who participate in sadomasochistic sex; (b) the sexual characteristics of this group of individuals; (c) sexual behaviours involved and the nature of the underlying relationship of these behaviours to one another; (d) family background; and (e) experiences of childhood sexual abuse. The article ends with a summary of the major é ndings and some suggestions for future research.
It has been generally thought that the practice of bondage-discipline, dominance-submission, sadism-masochism (BDSM) is in some form associated with psychopathology. However, several more recent studies suggest a relative good psychological health of BDSM practitioners.
The aim of this study was to compare scores of BDSM practitioners and a control group on various fundamental psychological characteristics.
For this aim, 902 BDSM and 434 control participants completely filled out online questionnaires. Associations were examined using χ2 tests of independence with φ and Cramer's V as effect size measures and eta or Pearson's correlation. Group differences were tested using analysis of covariance, with partial η2 as effect size measure. A priori contrasts were tested using α = 0.01 to correct for multiple testing; for all other tests we used α = 0.05, two tailed.
The study used Big Five personality dimensions (NEO Five-Factor Inventory), attachment styles (Attachment Styles Questionnaire), rejection sensitivity (Rejection Sensitivity Questionnaire), and subjective well-being (World Health Organization-Five Well-being Index).
The results mostly suggest favorable psychological characteristics of BDSM practitioners compared with the control group; BDSM practitioners were less neurotic, more extraverted, more open to new experiences, more conscientious, less rejection sensitive, had higher subjective well-being, yet were less agreeable. Comparing the four groups, if differences were observed, BDSM scores were generally more favorably for those with a dominant than a submissive role, with least favorable scores for controls.
We conclude that BDSM may be thought of as a recreational leisure, rather than the expression of psychopathological processes. Wismeijer AAJ and van Assen MALM. Psychological characteristics of BDSM practitioners. J Sex Med 2013;10:1943–1952.
Once a secretive and hidden practice, kinky sex is visible like never before, represented in songs, books, and Hollywood movies. Yet away from these fantastical representations of sensationalized sex, kink is practiced by ordinary people in communities and imbued with psychological meaning for their social identities. This book focuses on the social worlds of gay and bisexual men who engage in kink, and it reveals the dynamic interplay of sexual desires and social meaning that constitutes contemporary kink cultures. Melding psychological and sociological theories, this book documents significant changes in kink narratives among people immersed in kink communities while highlighting the diverse ways in which non-community members engage in kinky sexual practice. Drawing on longitudinal data from 74 in-depth interviews with gay and bisexual men, in addition to ethnographic observations with several kink communities and events over a period of 6 years, the book provides a groundbreaking account of how the internet has transformed the experiences of kink for gay men as well as the communities in which it is practiced. Rejecting a binary of online versus “real life,” this book shows how the digital is increasingly a part of kink communities and subcultures. The second half of the book examines the emergence of pup play as a kink activity and its consolidation as a community and subculture that enables people to explore kink in more playful ways.
Purpose:
We describe the timing of suicidality across the life span in three cohorts of sexual minority adults. We hypothesized that suicide attempts coincide with the coming out period and that younger sexual minority people, who grew up in more accepting social environments, will have lower prevalence of suicide attempts than older generations.
Methods:
A U.S. national probability sample of 1518 sexual minority adults in three age cohorts of 18-25, 34-41, and 52-59 years (collected 2016-2018) completed a self-administered survey.
Results:
Sexual minority adults had high prevalence of lifetime suicidal thoughts, plans, and attempts, with the highest attempted suicides in the younger cohort (30.8%, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 26.8-35.1) compared with the middle (23.7%, 95% CI = 19.0-29.1) and older (20.3%, 95% CI = 16.3-25.1) cohorts. There were no differences in suicidal behavior by race and ethnicity or between men and women, but gender nonbinary people had higher prevalence of suicidal thoughts. The mean age at suicidal thoughts, plans, and attempts tracked closely with age of first realization of sexual minority identity. Most suicide attempts (60.9%) occurred within 5 years of realizing one's sexual minority identity, but a significant proportion of attempts (39.1%) occurred outside this range.
Conclusion:
Our findings are contrary to the hypothesis that younger cohorts of sexual minority people are at lower risk of suicidality.
Research has begun to investigate subclinical levels of sadism including “everyday sadism:” an enjoyment of cruelty in normal, everyday situations. Thus far, subclinical sadism has been conceptualized as inherently antisocial, as with Internet trolls. We examined a potentially prosocial manifestation of sadism: self-identified sadists in the BDSM (bondage/discipline, dominance/submission, and sadism/masochism) community who cause pain only to consenting partners. A total of 532 BDSM practitioners and non-practitioners completed measures of everyday sadism with consent explicit, non-consent explicit, or consent ambiguous, and known correlates of everyday sadism (empathy, HEXACO traits, and Dark Triad traits). Across both samples and all conditions, everyday sadism correlated negatively with affective empathy, agreeableness, and honesty-humility, and positively with Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and narcissism. These results support the validity of the measure of everyday sadism among BDSM practitioners. Psychopathy uniquely predicted everyday sadism among BDSM practitioners when non-consent was explicit. BDSM sadists differed significantly from non-sadistic BDSM tops only on the physical subscale of everyday sadism and only when consent was explicit. These findings suggest that most BDSM sadists are not everyday sadists, and that BDSM sadism might represent a prosocial manifestation of subclinical sadism, but that BDSM sadists with high levels of psychopathy might be everyday sadists.
The Serious Leisure Perspective (SLP) is a theoretic framework developed by Robert A. Stebbins in 1973, that brings together three main forms of leisure known as serious leisure, casual leisure, and project-based leisure. The SLP has evolved considerably since 1973, and this textbook provides a synthesis of the many concepts and propositions, as well as the data supporting them. In this overview, Stebbins organizes the entire framework along conceptual lines, with careful attention to level of empirical support and validation of each concept, presenting an up-to-date version of the SLP that allows interested students and researchers of social psychology, sociology, and leisure studies, to pinpoint exact elements of the theory, the empirical base and its application.
Ahmed’s (2007) theory of the phenomenology of whiteness serves as a theoretical tool for assessing how whiteness presents itself within bondage, discipline, dominance/submission, and sadomasochism (BDSM) play. Given the “overwhelming whiteness” of BDSM in both research and practice, this study serves as a theory-building exercise for analyzing the relationship between what researchers have described as inclusive BDSM communities that continue to naturalize the whiteness of BDSM spaces. Through critical discourse analysis of interviews and blog submissions from BDSM participants, this study reflects on the whiteness of BDSM. Analyses suggest that the differences between white and racialized BDSM participants in their explanations for the whiteness of BDSM continue to support and privilege the white experience in white BDSM spaces.
This study is concerned with two risk factors that have been independently associated with poor behavioral health: (a) lifetime suicide-related behavior (SRB) and (b) interpersonal violence victimization experiences. The purpose of this article was to assess whether the combination of SRB (ideation, attempt) and violent victimization exacerbates behavioral health symptom risk. This pattern is examined across three vulnerable population samples: community-based adults, college students, and bondage and sadomasochism (BDSM) community members. Data from a community health and sexuality survey (n = 2,175) were collected as a health needs assessment in partnership with the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom; latent class analysis (LCA) was then employed to identify intersectionality. This paper builds on prior findings yielding two distinct violence-related classes: (a) SRB only and (b) violent victimization + SRB. Controlling for demographic covariates, analyses revealed a consistent pattern in which the violent victimization + SRB subgroup displayed significantly worse behavioral health outcomes, including symptoms of depression, anxiety, general distress, and posttraumatic stress. Membership in any of the three available samples did not moderate the latent class-behavioral health associations, suggesting the additive impact of lifetime victimization + SRB is equitable across samples. Results are consistent with social-ecological framing of shared suicide–interpersonal violence falling under the same category of public health concerns sharing risk factors and health outcomes.
What do Americans really want when it comes to sex? And is it possible for us to get what we want? Justin J. Lehmiller, one of the country's leading experts on human sexuality and author of the popular blog Sex and Psychology, has made it his career's ambition to answer these questions. He recently concluded the largest and most comprehensive scientific survey of Americans' sexual fantasies ever undertaken, a monumental two-year study involving more than 4,000 Americans from all walks of life, answering questions of unusual scope. Based on this study, Tell Me What You Want offers an unprecedented look into our fantasy worlds and what they reveal about us. It helps readers to better understand their own sexual desires and how to attain them within their relationships, but also to appreciate why the desires of their partners may be so incredibly different. If we only better understood the incredible diversity of human sexual desire and why this diversity exists in the first place, we would experience less distress, anxiety, and shame about our own sexual fantasies and better understand why our partners often have sexual proclivities that are so different from our own. Ultimately, this book will help readers to enhance their sex lives and to maintain more satisfying relationships and marriages in the future by breaking down barriers to discussing sexual fantasies and allowing them to become a part of readers' sexual realities.
Sexual behaviors and styles that differ from that of the majority culture have been pathologized throughout history. One such category of sexual variation is BDSM (bondage-discipline/dominance-submission/sadism–masochism). Research onpsychotherapists suggests beliefs that BDSM practitioners cannot sustain healthy relationships. A growing body of literature, however, describes those who engage in BDSM activities as socially well-adjusted individuals who are no more likely to have psychological distress than the general population. This study used an online survey distributed via BDSM community websites and word-of-mouth to measure relationship satisfaction among BDSM practitioners who were in committed relationships. The Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale (RDAS) was administered, as well as a number of demographic and BDSM participation questions about both the participants and their partners. Findings indicated participants did not score above the clinically distressed criterion cut-off on the RDAS. Additionally, data analysis compared gender and BDSM roles on RDAS scores. This yielded no statistically significant results. These results were considered in the context of the feminist critique of BDSM and family systems theory. The current study adds to previous research by examining relationship satisfaction, providing more evidence that those practicing BDSM are not significantly more pathological than the population in general.
In this article, we explore the ways BDSM practitioners negotiate gender. Based on 32 in-depth interviews with BDSM practitioners and thousands of message board posts from the then-largest online BDSM community in the USA, we explore the explanatory frameworks BDSM practitioners use to (1) downplay and (2) emphasize dominant notions of gender to make sense of BDSM practices and experiences. In so doing, we discuss some ways BDSM practices and interpretations may both challenge and reproduce broader societal patterns of gender inequality. In conclusion, we draw out implications for understanding (1) variation in the utilization of gender beliefs and assumptions within BDSM cultures, and (2) the consequences these patterns have for the reproduction of gender inequality.
Objective:
Bondage and discipline, dominance and submission, and sadomasochism (BDSM) practitioners are at increased risk for suicidal thoughts and behaviors. We hypothesized the association between (a) lifetime frequency of BDSM-related sexual behaviors and (b) BDSM identification and suicide attempt status would be mediated by acquired capability components (i.e., fearlessness about death and pain tolerance). Gender differences were examined.
Method:
Participants were 576 BDSM practitioners (meanage = 28.71; 66.7% male) recruited from online BDSM-related groups, cross-sectionally.
Results:
Among males, the total indirect effect of acquired capability components in the relation between BDSM-related sexual behaviors and suicide attempt status was significant. The specific indirect effect of perceived pain tolerance in the relation between both BDSM-related sexual behaviors and BDSM identification and suicide attempt status was significant. There were no significant effects for females. Additionally, 12% reported a suicide attempt history.
Conclusion:
Among males, BDSM-related sexual behaviors and BDSM identification were associated with increased acquired capability components, which were positively associated with suicide attempt status.
Based on the results of a qualitative empirical study of les-bi-trans-queer BDSM (bondage, discipline, dominance/submission, sadism/masochism) practices and identities, the author discusses how butches, transgender butches, transbutches, genderqueers, transmen and femmes use queer BDSM practices to play with, appropriate, eroticize and transform notions of masculinity through embodied, sexual practices. He calls for an expanded understanding of trans masculinities, which includes temporary as well as more sustained disidentificatory desires for masculinity independently of male bodies and identities in order to disrupt the construction of masculinity through processes of distancing and excluding women.
To date, no study has examined rates of suicide ideation or theory-based risk factors for suicide ideation among bondage and discipline, dominance and submission, and sadomasochism (BDSM) practitioners. Participants were 321 adults that endorsed BDSM involvement. Thirty-seven percent of the sample indicated a nonzero level of suicide ideation. Thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness (PB) were positively associated with suicide ideation and their interactive effect predicted additional variance in suicide ideation after adjusting for depressive symptoms. Overall, shame and guilt were positively associated with suicide ideation and these relations were mediated by thwarted belongingness and PB in parallel adjusting for depressive symptoms; however, there were some differences between demographic subgroups. Among BDSM practitioners, stigma-related internalized feelings (i.e., shame and guilt) may be associated with increased thwarted belongingness and PB, which are associated with suicide ideation.
Reviews the film, Fifty Shades of Grey directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson (2015). Fifty Shades of Gray is based on the first book in a trilogy of romance novels written by E. L. James. The movie depicts the unfolding of a relationship between a wealthy, young businessman (Christian Gray, CEO of Gray Industries) and a young college woman (Anastasia Steele, a graduating journalism major). What makes this romance notable is the inclusion of explicit elements of kink, or BDSM (an acronym which stands for bondage and discipline, dominance and submission, sadomasochism ; Moser & Kleinplatz, 2006). There are two reasons why a review of this movie makes sense in the context of this journal. The first is recognition of the cultural history of intersectionality between sexual orientations/identities, and alternative sexuality practices/identities, including BDSM. The second is the impact on therapeutic contexts, as people come out more and more around kink to their therapists or attempt to try kink for the first time, encouraged or inspired by the books and movie. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved)