Sexual Sadism and Sexual Masochism

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Sexual sadism is the act of achieving sexual excitement and arousal by giving physical or emotional pain. Sexual masochism is the act of achieving arousal and excitement by receiving physical or emotional pain. A person with sadism behavior is referred to as sadist whereas a person with masochism behavior is referred to as masochist. These are two different sexual behaviors that are commonly referred to as sadomasochistic behavior also known as SM.

SM is a behavior that associate sexual expression with pain and most of the time the pain inflicted is more symbolic than real. The pain may be simulated by beating a partner with a feather or soft object and the receiving partner get sexually arouse from the inflicted symbolic pain. In some cases, a sadist may required to give real pain and a masochist may required to received real pain to get sexually arouse.

Individuals who participate in SM usually stay within the limit agreed upon between the participants. The amounts of pain require achieving arousal between sadist and masochist may vary from mild symbolic pain to more severe pain or mutilation. Some of the mild symbolic pain may include spanking, whipping, gagging, blindfolding, handcuffing, caging, cross-dressing, urinating, defecating, humiliating, and forcing the other person to do filthy or degrading service. In more extreme cases SM behavior may include cutting, piercing, biting, burning, raping, and mutilating the other person.

In the case of sexual masochism not every pain is associated with sexual arousal. In order for sadist to get sexually arouse the pain must be associated with an act for the purpose of achieving sexual gratification. Some individual get arouse from being bound, or tied up a behavior called bondage. Usually this behavior involves restraining or bounding and disciplining the other person with spankings or whippings.

Most individuals who participate in SM alternate between the roles of sexual sadism and masochism because finding a partner who prefers only to give or receive pain can be difficult. Most individuals prefer one or the other role and some may prefer both roles. Individual who require severe pain to get sexually arouse may have difficulty finding a willing partner. Individual who needs to inflict extreme pain to achieve arousal may also have difficulty finding a willing partner.

Some people engage in SM mainly to experience dominance or submission role rather than pain. Research indicates that most people who engage in SM do it mainly for achieving sexual enhancement between consenting partners by engaging in role-play such as master and slave, teacher and student, doctor and patient, guard and prisoner.

Even though there are many theory explaining this type of sexual behavior but there is no clear explanation as to what cause sexual sadism and sexual masochism behavior or why some people are sadist, masochist or both. Regardless of sexual orientation or gender, SM may be practiced by anyone who associates pain with arousal.

Most successful men tend to participate in masochistic roles as a mean to escape from the reality where they are in controlled most of the times. Some of these men may be a judge, lawyer, politician, CEO, and business owner who are looking for punishment and humiliation as the mean to temporary let go of their controlling role. Some people who are less controlling and aggressive in nature tend to participate in sadistic act in which they temporary play a dominant role in a controlled environment.

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