Week 12 Lecture: Kink: BDSM Kink

A comprehensive set of 50 vocabulary flashcards designed to help with understanding key concepts related to BDSM and kink practices.

Kink

Pairing sexual pleasure or stimulation with something traditionally non-sexual.

BDSM

An acronym for Bondage, Discipline, Dominance, Submission, Sadism, and Masochism.

Bondage

A practice in BDSM involving physical restraint to control behavior.

Discipline

The use of rules and punishment to control behavior in BDSM.

Dominance

A role in BDSM where one person takes control of the situation.

Submission

A role in BDSM where one person gives up control to another.

Sadism

Deriving pleasure from inflicting pain or humiliation on others.

Masochism

Deriving pleasure from receiving pain or humiliation.

Safe Word

A pre-agreed word that can be used to stop the activity.

SSC

Safe, Sane, and Consensual; a philosophy in BDSM.

RACK

Risk-Aware Consensual Kink; a principle in BDSM emphasizing informed consent.

Negotiation

The process of discussing boundaries and safe words prior to engaging in BDSM activities.

Consent

An agreement by all parties involved in a BDSM scene to engage in activities.

Polyamory

Engaging in multiple romantic relationships with the consent of everyone involved.

Fetishism

A sexual attraction to a specific object or body part.

Role Play

Adopting different personas or scenarios during sexual activities.

Body Modification

Changing the body for aesthetic or expressive reasons, which can be included in kink practices.

Surface Consent

A basic 'yes' or 'no' regarding participation in BDSM activities.

Scene Consent

An agreement on the specifics of an interaction in BDSM.

Deep Consent

An understanding of the mental and emotional states regarding the use of safe words during BDSM.

Demographic Correlates

Statistical relationships between BDSM practice and various demographic factors.

Trauma and BDSM

The association between past sexual trauma and engagement in BDSM practices.

Psychopathology

The study of mental disorders; BDSM practitioners show similar psychological profiles as non-practitioners.

Neuroticism

A personality trait characterized by anxiety and emotional instability, observed lesser in BDSM practitioners.

Extraversion

A personality trait associated with sociability and outgoingness, higher in BDSM practitioners.

Caring, Communication, Consent, Caution (4Cs)

Foundational principles for safe BDSM practices.

Munch

A casual social gathering for people interested in BDSM to meet in a non-sexual environment.

FetLife

An online social network for people interested in BDSM, fetishism, and kink.

Stigma

Negative societal attitudes towards practices or identities that are considered outside of the norm.

Consent Withdrawal

The right to take back consent at any point in a BDSM interaction.

Emotional Safety

A crucial component in BDSM ensuring that participants feel secure during interactions.

Coercion

Forcing or manipulating someone to act against their will, important to distinguish from consensual BDSM.

Misinformation

False or misleading information often spread about BDSM practices.

Visibility

The increasing acceptance and acknowledgment of BDSM in mainstream culture.

Intimate Partner Violence

Abuse that occurs between individuals in a romantic relationship; important to distinguish from BDSM.

Risk Awareness

Understanding the potential risks involved in BDSM activities.

Community Norms

Standards of safety and consent established within BDSM communities.

Therapeutic Elements

Benefits associated with participation in BDSM communities that promote personal improvement.

Kinship

A sense of belonging and connection fostered within BDSM communities.

Consent Framework

A structured approach to consent that includes negotiation and the possibility of withdrawal.

Pathologizing BDSM

Treating BDSM practices as if they are a mental illness or disorder.

Social Features

Aspects of BDSM communities that promote connection and acceptance among members.

Psychological Adjustment

The idea that BDSM practitioners are well-adjusted compared to non-practitioners.

Sexual Agency

The ability to make choices about one's sexual activities and boundaries.

Diversity of Sexual Behavior

Acknowledging and respecting the range of different sexual expressions and practices.

How is a "Switch" defined within the BDSM community?

A person who identifies with and performs both dominant and submissive roles, often alternating between them depending on the context or partner.

True or False: For many practitioners, BDSM is not just a sexual behavior but an identity akin to a sexual orientation.

True. Some individuals seek kink or BDSM as a core piece of their identity rather than a secondary activity.

According to the Australian national sample (N = 19,307) by Richters et al. (2008), what was the prevalence of BDSM engagement in the past year?

1.8\% of the total population (2.2\% of men and 1.3\% of women).

Holvoet et al. (2017) found that approximately what fraction of their Belgian sample engaged in fantasies related to dominance?

About \frac{1}{4} of the participants.

Multiple Choice: Which demographic characteristic is significantly correlated with BDSM practice according to Brown et al. (2025)?\n\nA) Heterosexual monogamy\nB) Non-cisgender identification\nC) High levels of neuroticism\nD) Living with a partner (for women)

B) Non-cisgender identification (About \frac{1}{4} of BDSM practitioners identify as non-cisgender).

Which specific ages and living conditions are associated with higher BDSM prevalence in women?

Women aged 16-19 and those 50+; specifically those who do not live with a partner.

Short Answer: What is the scientific consensus regarding the causal link between sexual trauma and BDSM?

There is no evidence of a causal link. While associations may exist due to the pervasiveness of trauma in the general population, it is often correlational, and some use BDSM as a tool for coping and healing.

How do BDSM practitioners differ from non-practitioners regarding 'Rape Myth Acceptance'?

Practitioners typically show lower levels of rape myth acceptance, victim-blaming, and acceptance of sexual aggression.

Define 'Benevolent Sexism' and explain its relation to the BDSM community.

Benevolent sexism is the belief that men must protect and care for women (implying female weakness). BDSM practitioners score lower on measures of benevolent sexism than the general public.

Which two traits in the 'Big Five' personality model are typically higher in BDSM practitioners, excluding Extraversion and Openness?

Conscientiousness and emotional stability (lower Neuroticism).

Characterize the 'Agreeableness' and 'Rejection Sensitivity' of kinky individuals compared to the mainstream.

BDSM practitioners typically show lower levels of Agreeableness and are less sensitive to rejection than non-practitioners.

According to Li (2024), which attachment styles are most common among Dominants?

Secure or Avoidant (dismissing) attachment styles.

Which attachment style is statistically more likely to be found in individuals who prefer submissive roles?

Anxiety-related attachment (Anxious attachment).

How does context affect the distress levels of men regarding sexual dysfunction in BDSM?

Men are significantly less distressed by sexual dysfunction when it occurs within a BDSM context compared to a non-BDSM context (Pascoal et al., 2015).

In the DSM-5, under what specific condition does Sadism or Masochism qualify as a psychiatric disorder?

Only if the individual experiences significant distress, functional impairment, or if the behaviors involve non-consenting parties (becoming a Paraphilic Disorder).

Short Answer: Why might 'Minority Stress' be relevant to a BDSM practitioner?

Because BDSM is a marginalized sexual interest, practitioners may experience distress not from the practice itself, but from societal disapproval, stigma, and the fear of discovery.

What percentage of practitioners conceal their BDSM involvement from the public (Stiles & Clark, 2011)?

70\%.

According to Waldura et al. (2016), what is the visibility of BDSM status among healthcare professionals?

Less than 50\% of practitioners are out to their healthcare providers, often due to fear of judgment or clinical misunderstanding.

Identify a potential legal risk for a BDSM practitioner in a child custody battle.

Partners or courts may attempt to pathologize the practice to prove parental unfitness, despite BDSM not being an indicator of poor parenting or mental illness.

What is the US Supreme Court's stance on significant bodily harm and consent?

The court specifies that a person cannot legally consent to an assault that causes significant bodily harm; this is a risk for BDSM because activities may leave visible marks.

How is the genre of 'Fifty Shades of Grey' often colloquially described and who is the primary target audience?

It is described as 'Mommy Porn' and is primarily aimed at young, urban women.

What positive effect did 'Fifty Shades of Grey' have on women's sexual exploration (Kimberly et al., 2018)?

It increased comfort for many women in expressing and exploring their desires, with 86\% reporting changed attitudes toward BDSM.

Short Answer: Critique the portrayal of Christian Grey's 'Sadism' in the movie/books.

The story pathologizes his interest by attributing it to childhood trauma and a need to 'punish' women who look like his mother, which reinforces the myth that BDSM is a result of mental illness.

Multiple Choice: What theme is notably absent/inaccurate in the 'Fifty Shades' depiction of BDSM?\n\nA) Restraint\nB) Power dynamics\nC) Genuine sexual agency and negotiation\nD) Expensive equipment

C) Genuine sexual agency and negotiation (The movies often depict compliance through coercion rather than informed, enthusiastic consent).

Name the specific book by Easton & Liszt (2015) often recommended for the loved ones of kinky individuals.

'When Someone You Love Is Kinky'.

List the three central themes of BDSM community membership according to Graham et al. (2015).

1. Social Features (kinship/acceptance), 2. Personal Development (self-improvement/actualization), 3. Functional Resources (education/safety/support).

Jozifkova (2013) outlines five distinguish markers between BDSM and violence; name at least three.

1. Voluntariness, 2. Communication, 3. Ability to withdraw consent, 4. Safer sex, 5. Access to information.

Short Answer: How do healthy BDSM relationships differ from abusive ones regarding the 'Safe Word'?

In healthy BDSM, the safe word is respected immediately to stop action; in abuse, the ability to rescind consent or use a safe word is either ignored or absent.

What is the primary function of a 'Munch'?

To provide a casual, non-sexual introductory space in a public venue for novices and veterans to socialize and discuss BDSM.

Why is BDSM described by modern researchers (Cross & Matheson, 2006) as a 'recreational leisure activity'?

Because practitioners are psychologically well-adjusted and view the activities as self-actualizing play rather than symptoms of a disorder.

According to the lecture, what are some examples of stimuli that are paired with sexual pleasure to define 'Kink'?

Traditionally non-sexual items such as:

• Leather

• Latex

• Glasses

• Fruit

Name the four practices/identities specifically listed as falling under the umbrella of 'Kink' in the lecture.

1. BDSM

2. Polyamory

3. Fetishism

4. Role Play

5. Body Modification

According to Holvoet et al. (2017), what percentage of participants reported having no interest in dominance or submission behaviors?

• Dominance: 37.9\% of men and 40.2\% of women.

• Submission: 37.3\% of men and 37.2\% of women.

Multiple Choice: For men, BDSM practice is found to be statistically unrelated to which demographic factors?\n\nA) Sexual orientation\nB) Age, education, and relationship status\nC) Non-monogamy\nD) Gender identity

B) Age, education, and relationship status.

Short Answer: Describe the 'Selection Bias' limitation in current BDSM research.

Research often relies on people willing to participate who practice activity outside the mainstream script. Many practitioners are reluctant to share information due to potential danger in their social context or fear of legal/professional ramifications.

What are the two major research gaps identified regarding the current data on BDSM practitioners?

1. Lack of dyadic data: Most studies focus on individuals rather than the couple/dynamic.

2. Lack of relational context: There is limited data on the specific contexts of the relationships themselves.

How can the 'Minority Stress' model explain distress in a BDSM practitioner even if the BDSM itself is consensual?

Distress may arise from societal disapproval, stigma, and the fear of discovery rather than the sexual practices themselves. The DSM-5 clarifies that such social-based distress does not qualify as a disorder.

Short Answer: What are the potential legal ramifications of the 'visible marks' often left by BDSM activities?

Because the US Supreme Court specifies one cannot consent to an assault causing significant bodily harm, visible marks from BDSM (like bruises) can be interpreted as a criminal offense or used as evidence of 'parental unfitness' in custody battles.

According to Deller & Smith (2013), what percentage of women tried BDSM specifically as a result of reading 'Fifty Shades of Grey'?

22\%.

In the analysis of 'Fifty Shades of Grey', what does the theme of 'Compliance' refer to?

The implication that the submissive character (Ana) agrees to BDSM not because of internal desire or sexual agency, but due to other motivations or coercion from the partner.

Multiple Choice: According to Tsaros (2013), how does 'Fifty Shades of Grey' fail to challenge heteronormativity?\n\nA) It depicts non-monogamy\nB) It portrays kink as an upper-class, glamorized activity that doesn't challenge the status quo\nC) It focuses on working-class struggles\nD) It shows BDSM as a healthy, non-pathological identity

B) It portrays kink as an upper-class, glamorized activity that doesn't challenge the status quo (e.g., needing an expensive 'play room').

Under the 'Functional Resources' theme of community membership (Graham et al., 2015), what specific benefits do practitioners value?

• Sharing educational knowledge

• Safety and consent resources

• Social support

What types of abuse can occur within a BDSM relationship that go beyond physical or sexual boundaries?

• Financial manipulation

• Psychological manipulation

• Coercion to sign 'contracts' without true agency

What fundamental clinical question should a therapist ask a BDSM practitioner to determine if the practice is healthy?

The therapist should assess the role of consent, the method of negotiation, and the intent of the practice to see if it falls within the spectrum of healthy sexual diversity or problematic behavior.

Fill in the Blank: According to Jozifkova (2013), the presence of versus feelings of is a key marker distinguishing abuse from consensual BDSM.

Fear; Safety