Sexual Sadism and Offending
Alexandre Gauthier2021, Sexual Deviance
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Abstract
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The chapter explores the intersection of sexual sadism and BDSM practices, contextualizing sexual sadism as a non-harmful fantasy that diverges sharply from sadistic sexual offending. It highlights the prevalence of sexually atypical fantasies in the general population and distinguishes BDSM as a consensual practice characterized by clear psychological agreements between participants. The paper emphasizes the importance of consent in BDSM interactions, contrasting this with the experiences of victims in cases of sexual assault, which are devoid of mutual agreement and lead to significant psychological harm.
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UC Merced Undergraduate Research Journal, 2019
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The International Journal of Forensic Psychotherapy, 2020
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Archives of Sexual Behavior, 2015
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The journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, 2012
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), Task Force has recently rejected the proposal to include coercive paraphilia as an official diagnosis, reaffirming that rape is a crime and not a mental disorder. We hope this will discourage what has been the inappropriate practice of giving rapists the made-up diagnosis of paraphilia, NOS, nonconsent, to facilitate their psychiatric commitment under sexually violent predator (SVP) statutes. Losing the paraphilia, NOS, option has tempted some SVP evaluators to overdiagnose sexual sadism, which is an official DSM mental disorder. To prevent this improper application and to clarify those rare instances in which this diagnosis might apply, we present a brief review of the research on sexual sadism; an annotation of its definitions that have been included in the DSM since the Third Edition, published in 1980, and in the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Edition (ICD-10); and a two-step proce...
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Journal of the History of Sexuality , 2009
Social Construction of Sadomasochism and Fetishism
Sadomasochism and Fetishism are two elements of a category of sexual behaviors that are classified as paraphilia. These behaviors have been pathologized by institutions of majority society, but are embraced by a healthy subculture composed of individuals who practice these behaviors in the context of functional consensual relationships. These behaviors form the basis of alternative sexual identities. These alternative sexual identities are derived from attributes of mainstream sexuality and reflect other elements of society. The behaviors and identities do not exist as merely personal attributes or deviations; they exist in a social context and have developed their own culture. Sadomasochism and fetishism are social constructs.
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