Examining Predation and Protection From Victimization in the BDSM Subculture

• In Event: Issues in Sexual Deviance

Abstract

The Bondage/Discipline/Sadomasochism (BDSM) subculture emphasizes consent and community but it is unclear how members are protected from harm. There are myriad opportunities for new participants who are naive or unfamiliar with the process of negotiation to be taken advantage of by unscrupulous or predatory actors. There is little research, however, on the ways that individuals insulate themselves from such experiences or how protective strategies are communicated through experience or social interactions within the subculture. This qualitative study attempts to examine these issues using interviews with participants who self identify as engaged in a BDSM lifestyle as well as participant observations at public events in the BDSM community in the Midwestern US. The implications of this study for risks and under reporting of victimization are discussed.

Author

• Karen Holt, John Jay College of Criminal Justice