FREE ESSAY ON SADOMASOCHISM: A FORM OF DEVIANCE

SADOMASOCHISM: A FORM OF DEVIANCE

SADOMASOCHISM:
A Form Of Deviance
Sadomasochism is a sexually deviant behavior that is practiced by many people within
today's society. It is the combination of two paraphilias, sadism and masochism, which
are usually always linked together. An occasional mild or light form of sadomasochism (or
S& M for short), is considerably common among the general population. Many people often
enjoy being mildly dominant or submissive during lovemaking. They believe that it makes
the experience more enjoyable. But when S&M becomes the dominating feature of a person's
sexuality, that is when he or she is considered deviant. Unlike other paraphilias,
sadomasochism includes a large population of women as well as men. They are nearly
equally balanced in number.
A paraphilia known as masochism is characterized by the desire or need to inflict pain
and or humiliation, so that sexual arousal and fulfillment may be achieved. The term
"masochism" refers to an Austrian historian and author, Leopold von Sacher-Masoch
(1836-1895), who wrote various stories of male submissiveness. These stories consisted of
men who received sexual pleasure by having their female partners inflict pain upon them
(Ernulf&Innala, p635). A masochist may receive sexual gratification from several
different types of pain and or humiliation. Some of these types may include being
spanked, being whipped, being made to perform humiliating acts, being rudely insulted,
being blindfolded, being disciplined, and being restrained (Rathus, 
Nevid, &Fichner-Rathus, p545). Being physically bound or restrained is most commonly
called sexual bondage and it is a part of bondage and discipline, "where discipline
refers to psychological restraining, such as control, training, and nonphysical
punishment" (Ernulf&Innala, p637). Some forms of masochism can also be lethal, such as
hypoxyphilia. Hypoxyphilia is a fairly common practice where a person chooses to enhance
their sexual arousal by voluntarily depriving himself or herself of oxygen. In order to
become deprived of oxygen, people usually use plastic bags, rope, or their partner's
hands to choke their partner once consent is given. This practice is dangerous and can
possibly even result in a tragic death (Rathus, Nevid, &Fichner-Rathus, p545-546).
Masochism's counterpart, sadism, is the complete opposite for many reasons. Sadism is a
parphilia, which is characterized by the association of sexual satisfaction with the
infliction of pain or humiliation onto others. The term sadism refers to a French author
and philosopher, Marquis de Sade (1740-1814). Marquis de Sade wrote stories of people who
became sexually aroused by inflicting pain or humiliation on others. Some of his best
known works are Justine (published in 1791) and Juliette (published in 1797). A sadist
receives sexual gratification by role-playing. They usually play the authority figure who
inflicts pain, humiliates, disciplines, and plays master to another person
(Ernulf&Innala, p637). Most sadists hurt and humiliate willing partners who are usually
masochists. A small minority of sadists may even attempt to stalk and attack their
unwilling victims. This is a very dangerous and harmful to its participants. In fact,
Sigmund Freud wrote extensively on sadism. In his research, he recognized its existence
in the individual and tried to explain it and understand it further.
The sexuality of most men, shows an admixture of aggression, of a desire to subdue, the
biological significance of which lies in the necessity for overcoming the resistance of
the sexual object by actions other than mere courting. Sadism would correspond to an
aggressive component of the sexual instinct, which has become independent and exaggerated
and has been brought to the foreground by displacement (Freud, p569).
Through his works, it is shown that the average person may have sadist tendencies in him,
but more often than not it is not a dominating aspect of his personality.
When we combine sadism and masochism together, we arrive with the term sadomasochism
(more commonly called S&M). S&M is a mutually gratifying sexual interaction between
consenting sex partners, in which sexual arousal is associated with the inflicting and
receiving of pain or humiliation (Rathus, Nevid, &Fichner-Rathus, p546). Most
participants in sadomasochism usually participate on both sides of the spectrum. They
often switch roles at different times during certain rituals. Usually, the person who is
in a submissive role will play in that role for the remainder of the ritual. Then for the
next ritual, he or she might play the dominant role (Queen, p68). Within the S&M
community, the terms "slave" and "mistress/master" are used to refer to the participants
on both sides of the act. The term "slave" most commonly refers to the submissive or
sadist role, and "mistress" or "master" is used to refer to the dominant or masochist
role. The words "play" and "scene" are also used in the context of the S&M community.
"Play" refers to any sort of erotic exchanges that both partners have agreed to engage in
prior to the sadomasochistic practices. "Scene" refers to a single episode of the play in
which these practices take place (Queen p68).
Because of sadomasochists' growing acceptance in our culture, S&M communities were formed
throughout different countries of the world. Within the United States, a notable S&M
subculture has been around since the 1940's. Since the 1970's, heterosexual, gays, and
lesbians have been able to form a community where people with interests in S&M are able
to interact with others who possess similar or mutually beneficial interests. That decade
saw the birth of a handful of S&M societies in both New York and San Francisco (Queen
p67).
S&M paraphernalia is often used in many of these rituals. Items like handcuffs, leather
masks, leather whips, and leashes are commonly used during S&M play. Various types of
stimulation may be used to inflict pain upon the consenting partner. Within the S&M
community, they have recently been forced to grapple with questions concerning the
safety, and physical and mental health of the submissive participant. The issue of
consent is also a primary concern. To help keep S&M practices safe, the community has
developed a list of strategies for building awareness of consent during play. One
strategy to help keep play safe, is for future partners to meet beforehand to discuss
their likes and dislikes, and desires and limits. They discuss the events very thoroughly
before engaging in any type of play. Another popular strategy that is used to help keep
people safe is the development of "safe words." This allows play of any kind to be
stopped when one of the partners uses the safe word, which would not ordinarily be part
of in-scene communication. One of the more commonly used safe words is the word "red"
(Queen p68).
Within the S&M society, there are a few terms related to what people are more interested
in. There is sadomasochism, bondage discipline, and dominance and submission. Dominance
and submission is a broad term that usually includes many features of the other two and
other features, such as fetishism and transvestitism. It may include other paraphilias
such as fetishism and transvestitism because it includes the act of role play and role
reversal with the exchange of power. Bondage and discipline is the use, in sexual
behavior, of physically restraining someone with materials, devices, or the use of
psychologically restraining commands. These commands may enforce discipline without
inducing physical pain. But many times, bondage and discipline does include physical
punishment. These categories may sometimes all be distinguished from each other. But,
they also may include characteristics that overlap. For example, bondage does not always
have to include dominance and submission, or sadomasochism. But at certain levers, it
may. The same also holds true for dominance and submission, and sadomasochism
(Ernulf&Innala, p632).
Sadomasochism, however, is the only paraphilia that does not occur exclusively among men.
Many women participate are found to participate in S&M practices. A survey of S&M
participants drawn from ads in S&M magazines found that about three in four were male and
about one in four were female (Rathus, Nevid &Fichner-Rathus, p547). Many people who are
into the S&M scene may have a dominatrix that they may frequently visit. The dominatrix
plays the dominant role and is a usually a female figure. There is some evidence for a
social-class difference in the S&M scene. Working-class clients of prostitutes purchase
mainly traditional sexual activities, while upper-class clients seem to frequently
request to be sexually dominated (Ernulf&Innala, p635). One example that comes to mind is
when famous sportscaster, Marv Albert's name was found on a dominatrix's black book. He
is a very wealthy man who has a fiancee, and yet he found it necessary to seek the skills
of a dominatrix.
Sadomasochists may have problems but can usually find ways to help themselves. It becomes
a problem when one's behavior becomes destructive or dangerous, to ones self or to
others. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders includes sexual sadism
and sexual masochism, but certain minimum for these diagnoses must be fulfilled:
Sexual Sadism: The essential feature of this disorder is recurrent, intense, sexual urges
and sexually arousing fantasies, for at least six months' duration, involving acts (real
not simulated) in which the psychological or physical suffering (including humiliation)
of the victim is sexually exciting. The person has acted on these urges, or is markedly
distressed by them. (p286)
Sexual Masochism: The essential feature of this disorder is recurrent, intense, sexual
urges and sexually arousing fantasies, for at least six months' duration, involving the
act (real, no simulated) of being humiliated, beaten, bound, or otherwise made to suffer.
The person has acted on these urges, or is markedly distressed by them. (p286)
(Ernulf&Innala p636-637)
Luckily, many Sadomasochists have found an outlet in their communities where they can
practice safely with others who share the same desires. This feeling of needing to give
or receive pain for sexual gratification stems back to when one was a child. If the only
attention a child received from his or her parents was when he or she was being punished,
than being punished was a pleasurable thing. The child might continue to do things in
order to get their parents attention so that he or she may be punished.
Out of all the paraphilias in existence, sadomasochism is one of the more commonly
accepted ones in today's society. Not to say that in the future there will ever be a
"Sadomasochist 101" class at Long Island University or C.W. Post, but there will
hopefully someday be more of an understanding of the practice. Even HBO has frequently
shown different specials that include sadomasochism as the main topic of discussion. They
are attempting to teach people what it is all about, so that they have can begin to have
a better understanding of it, and are more accepting. Although if one possesses these
sadomasochistic tendencies, it might be far healthier for them to act out those feelings,
rather than to keep them bottled up inside of them. However there always remains the more
conservative element that will find such sexual behavior as degrading and immoral. Some
groups may be so daring as to say that such acts of immorality may be classified as
satanic in nature. Luckily, today there are now many places in which one may visit in
order to act out his or her fantasies in discretion and secret. These establishments
allow for the exercise of these practices in seclusion. Many psychologists believe that
it is healthy for sadomasochists to be able to unleash these desires. If these desires
are not expressed, it may lead to repressed violent tendencies.
Bibliography
Rathus, Nevid, &Fichner-Rathus (human sexuality textbook, 1996)
Queen, Carol (1996) Women S/M and Theory
Women and Theory, 19 (4) 65 - 73
Ernulf, K. &Innala, S.M. (1995) (sexual bondage)
Archives of sexual behavior, 24 (6) 631 - 654
Freud, S. (1938) The Basic Writing of Sigmund Freud, page 584