Sadism

Like some masochists, some sadists require the pain or humiliation in order to function sexually. Others may engage in more typical sexual activities at some times and sadistic activities at other times. Sadists often seek out masochists as sexual partners. The sexual arousal in sadism is directly related to the suffering of the other person.

Some acts involve actual physical violence, including cutting, burning, or beating. Other acts involve domination, such as making the other person crawl or keeping him or her in a cage. Still other acts involve humiliation.

Sexual sadism is much more common in males. Heterosexual masochists usually have difficulty in finding sadistic female partners. However, the incidence in females appears to be on the rise. Most sadists begin having fantasies about these activities in childhood. They usually begin experimenting with partners by early adulthood.

Some people may engage in sadistic acts with consenting partners for many years without ever actually injuring anyone. Other sadists may need to increase the severity over time. These sadists may eventually seriously injure or kill someone. Sexual sadists who attack nonconsenting victims tend to continue until legal authorities catch them.

Sexual sadism involving unwilling victims is extremely difficult to treat. Sexual sadism with consenting partners is treated with psychotherapy from a specialist in the field. Contact the State Board of Mental Health in your state for the name of a specialist.

SADOMASOCHISM

Sado is a paraphilia that combines both sadistic and masochistic sexual behavioral patterns. The main characteristic of sadomasochism is the eroticizing of pain. What appears to the outsider to be painful, even very painful, is experienced as somewhat painful but mostly pleasurable and very sexually arousing to the sadomasochist. The sadist in the sadomasochistic pair is the person who inflicts the pain or punishment; the masochist is the person who submits to the pain, humiliation or control of his or her partner. Sadomasochistic sexual encounters usually occur in the context of scripted scenes that simulate interactions between master or mistress and slave, employer and servant-maid, teacher and student, owner and horse or dog, and parent and child. Sadomasochists may wear black leather or rubber attire. Some gay males and heterosexuals engage in a genre of sadomasochism known as "leathersex", wearing key chains or colored handkerchiefs symbolizing the role being played. Wearing keys on the left sid indicates that the individual is a sadist; on the right indicates that he or she prefers the role of masochist.

Sadomasochists tend to alternate between the masochistic and sadistic roles. In milder form, without overt cruelty or bodily punishment, dominance and submissive behaviors may be found in many relationships, or may be an element of fantasy life. Although sadomasochistic acts in their extreme forms can be physically and psychologically dangerous, the majority of people engaging in these behaviors do so with an understanding of the risks and stay within carefully predetermined limits.