BDSM practitioners less likely to have victim-blaming attitudes in sexual violence cases People who take part in BDSM sex activities (bondage, discipline/dominance, submission/sadism, masochism) are less likely to hold attitudes consistent with rape culture, […]

People who take part in BDSM sex activities (bondage, discipline/dominance, submission/sadism, masochism) are less likely to hold attitudes consistent with rape culture, research has found.

Victim-blaming attitudes are less widespread as well as acceptance of so-called rape myths in sexual violence cases, according to the study.

The reason for this could be because the BDSM subculture has “affirmative consent norms,” says Kathryn Klement, co-author of the study called “Participating in a culture of consent may be associated with lower rape-supportive beliefs“.

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Affirmative consent is a conscious, voluntary, and mutual decision among all participants to engage in sexual activity, either by words or actions.

It means explicitly saying “yes” to questions such as “Can I take your clothes off?” and “Can I touch you?,” says Ms Klement, from the department of psychology at Northern Illinois University. Affirmative consent is seen in the Yes Means Yes policy enforced in colleges and universities in some US states including California and New York. It can be contrasted with a policy where consent is assumed – until someone says no.

Negotiations and safe-words

Within the BDSM community, there is a culture of affirmative or negotiating consent. Practitioners will “negotiate what to do ahead of time,” discuss limits and have safe-words for when they want activities to stop, she says.

As a possible consequence of these existing norms, the research has found that BDSM practitioners are less likely to blame victims or accept a myth such as “she was drinking, she wanted to have sex,” says Ms Klement.

“With BDSM practitioners, they see women as being in control of their own desires and their own bodies” Kathryn Klement, study co-author

BDSM practitioners are also less likely to hold views pertaining to benevolent sexism, where women are put on pedestals, viewed as pure, weaker than men or in need of protection, informs Ms Klement.

“With BDSM practitioners, they see women as being in control of their own desires and their own bodies,” she says, adding that people who do hold views linked to benevolent sexism are less likely to think women have “agency”. Ms Klement adds they may hold anti-abortion views and may not believe women are in full control of their bodies.

The study

The study compared online survey responses from three groups of around 60 people – (self-selecting) BDSM practitioners, college students, adult workers at Amazon’s Mechanical Turk marketplace – on their attitudes and beliefs towards benevolent sexism, rape myth acceptance and victim blaming, as well as other measures.

BDSM practitioners, in comparison with the other two groups, reported lower levels of the three mentioned measures.

However it is important to note that the results follow a pattern of correlation rather that causation, which means it is not inconceivable that another factor is behind the link, explains Ms Klement.

Change perceptions of BDSM

Ms Klement hopes the findings of the survey could change stereotypical perceptions of the BDSM community: “Look at 50 Shades of Grey, how the characters are portrayed. Christian [Grey] is portrayed as sexist, dominant.”

She adds the media portrays BDSM practitioners as “deranged”.

“The media talk about BDSM as sick and twisted. It’s nice to be able to demonstrate that [the practitioners] are normal [and they] have good things to teach the rest of us.”

Ms Klement highlights that some commentators have criticised the Yes means Yes campaign for having the potential to make sexual activity less exciting or sexy. But the BDSM community’s “idea that you can negotiate what you do, [and] it won’t lessen sexual desire is a good message”.