An International Survey of BDSM Practitioner Demographics: The Evolution of Purpose for, Participation in, and Engagement with, Kink Activities

Westlake, Bryce; Mahan, Isabella

doi:10.1080/00224499.2023.2273266

Cited by 3 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 56 publications

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“…Participants' routes into pup play reflect research into how people discover and participate in kink more generally (e.g., Hughes & Hammack, 2022;Westlake & Mahan, 2023). While the internet provides pathways for people to explore kink activities and engage with kink subcultures (Rubinsky, 2018), our findings emphasized the continued importance of interacting with others as a means of social reproduction to creating subcultures (e.g., Kao, 2013).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 65%

“…Research into how people discover and explore their kink interests, and how some subsequently adopt a kink identity, can be summarized into two pathways: through internal/essentialist narratives, and through external/constructionist narratives (Walker & Kuperberg, 2022;Westlake & Mahan, 2023). While these two pathways do not differ based on role or immersion in kink communities (Wignall, 2022), a greater proportion of men suggest desires stem from the intrinsic self, compared with a greater proportion of women who emphasize external influences (Yost & Hunter, 2012).…”

Section: Narratives Of Kinkmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As well as broad sexual subcultures, there are also examples of kink subcultures (see Simula et al, 2023). Many of these kink subcultures mirror sexual subcultures, through creating a language and code of behaviors (Newmahr, 2011;Zambelli, 2017), having physical and digital spaces to meet others and form communities (Westlake & Mahan, 2023), and providing a sense of community and belonging (Graham et al, 2016). While early research into kink subcultures described difficulty permeating the subcultural boundaries (e.g., Rubin, 1981;Weinberg, 2023), the internet has provided an easier pathway to accessing kink subcultures (see Wignall, 2022.…”

Section: Pup As Subculturementioning

confidence: 99%

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“Be Dog Have Fun”: Narratives of Discovery, Meaning, and Motivation among Members of the Pup Subculture

Hammack,

Wignall

2024

Sexuality & Culture

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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.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 65%

Section: Narratives Of Kinkmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Pup As Subculturementioning

confidence: 99%

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“Be Dog Have Fun”: Narratives of Discovery, Meaning, and Motivation among Members of the Pup Subculture

Hammack,

Wignall

2024

Sexuality & Culture

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“…wherein the alternatives included: solitary masturbation, mutual masturbation, received oral sex, given oral sex, vaginal intercourse, and fetish practices, assessed using an ordinal scale (0 = 'Never'; 1 = 'Rarely'; 2 = 'Infrequently'; 3 = 'Frequently'; 4 = 'Almost the entire month'). Fetish were measured in isolation from BDSM practices, assuming that the former do not bear the same degree of taboo as the latter (Bering, 2013;Westlake & Mahan, 2023), in order get an estimation of these.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Is BDSM in the eye of the beholder? Variations in Conventional and non-Conventional Sexual Behaviors by Self-Identification vs. BDSM Practice Frequency in the General Population

Quintana,

Aguilera,

Santibáñez-Palma

et al. 2024

Preprint

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Studies concerning BDSM sexual practices within the general population often use different criteria to differentiate between those who practice or identify by them vs. those who do not. Yet, using criteria such as BDSM self-identification or measuring the actual frequency of these practices incur in limitations that likely over or underestimate the prevalence of these behaviors, making the interpretation and comparison of the results inaccurate across studies. Therefore, the following study examined the magnitude of difference between using BDSM self-identification vs. BDSM practice frequency as criteria, across conventional and non-conventional sexual behaviors, as well as sexual function in the general population. This study was composed of 3904 Chilean men and women. Sexual function was measured using the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) and the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI). Results revealed differences in the prevalence of BDSM individuals by criteria varying by behavior, whereas correlations between BDSM criteria were positive, yet of low magnitude. The practice frequency criterion yielded a larger prevalence of BDSM practitioners, with higher engagement in BDSM-specific behaviors, greater pleasure derived from these practices, and better sexual function compared to non-BDSM individuals, especially among highly frequent practitioners. Lastly, differences in sexual function dimensions according to BDSM criteria were found more frequently, and by a larger magnitude, through the BDSM practice frequency criterion, especially in women, compared to non-BDSM people. This study findings demonstrate the importance of considering both self-identification and practice frequency criteria in understanding BDSM and its implications for sexual health in future studies.

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BDSM Safety in Pornography: Its Perceived Accuracy and Impact on Practitioners’ Safe Word Practices

Westlake

2024

Arch Sex Behav

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An International Survey of BDSM Practitioner Demographics: The Evolution of Purpose for, Participation in, and Engagement with, Kink Activities

Cited by 3 publications

References 56 publications

“Be Dog Have Fun”: Narratives of Discovery, Meaning, and Motivation among Members of the Pup Subculture

“Be Dog Have Fun”: Narratives of Discovery, Meaning, and Motivation among Members of the Pup Subculture

Is BDSM in the eye of the beholder? Variations in Conventional and non-Conventional Sexual Behaviors by Self-Identification vs. BDSM Practice Frequency in the General Population

BDSM Safety in Pornography: Its Perceived Accuracy and Impact on Practitioners’ Safe Word Practices

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