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Kink in the Academy

Ray A. White, Ed.S., LPC/MHSP/AS, NCC, ACS

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Disclaimer

The content of this workshop represents the research, thoughts, and opinions of the presenter, not any employer or sponsor.

No subjects were harmed or restrained in the

preparation of this workshop!

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Ice

Breaker…

Name some kinks

and/or fetishes

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What type kinks

are represented ?

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What if we added a…

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Workshop Outline

Kink Proclivity
Kink Practices
Pathology or Pacification

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Spoiler!

Nearly half of the population participate in some form of kink either via fantasy, or practice.

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68.8% report at least one bdsm fantasy or practice

Holvoet, et. al. 2017

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46.8% performed at least one BDSM related activity.

Holvoet, et. al. 2017

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67% reported entry into BDSM via media sources.

17% reported entry into BDSM via relationship.

Walker, 2022

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Age of BDSM Fantasies

13-15 years

Age of BDSM Entry

18-22 years

Walker, 2022

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Who Does This Remind You Of?

Age of BDSM Entry

18-22 years

67% reported entry into BDSM via media sources

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Kink in the Academy…

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Still, the new popularity of kink on campus is surprising. Even more surprising is how much the popularity of kinks has risen at elite universities since 2012, when a bunch of Harvard students formed Harvard Munch, Harvard’s kinky club.

https://observer.com/2015/03/50-shades-of-ivy-kink-on-campus/

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Harvard Student Survey

22% “Down with Fetishes”

40% “Intrigued”

Refinery29

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Higher Ed. BDSM

Clubs

Wikipedia Listing

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College Courses

Princeton Course Catalog Entry

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Though BDSM proclivity may develop prior to college, for many, college provides the freedom necessary to begin exploring and cultivating both normative and alternative sexual identities and novel sexual experiences (Lindgren et al., 2009).

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What Drives College Age Interest?

Self-Discovery & Exploration
Freedom & Independence
Stress Management

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Wilson

Sexual Fantasy

Questionnaire

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University Students Fantasy Interests

Article

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BDSM

(BD)SM = Bondage & Discipline

B(DS)M = Dominance & Submission

BD(SM) = Sadism & Masochism

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Bondage & Discipline

Almost 50 percent of both women and men have fantasized about being tied up in order to obtain sexual pleasure.

Dominance & Submission

Sixty-five percent of women and more than 50 percent of men have fantasized about being dominated sexually.

Sadism & Masochism

Almost 25 percent of women and more than 40 percent of men have fantasized about spanking or whipping someone for sexual pleasure

~Joyal (2017).

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The Tenets of BDSM

Safe

Sane

Consensual

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Kink

Vs.

Fetish

Kink

Achieving sexual arousal from a particular behavior.

Example: having rope restraints applied.

Fetish

Achieving sexual arousal from a particular object.

Example: wearing certain type underwear.

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56 Kinks/Fetishes

Cosmopolitan

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Most Common

Dominance/Submission

Spanking

Bondage

Sensory Deprivation

Orgasm Control

Roleplay

Body Worship

Lingerie, Outfits, Fetishwear

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Fatal Outcomes

Review of the literature

17 Cases of non-natural death:

#1 Erotic Asphyxiation

#2 Substance Use

Schori A, Jackowski C, Schön CA. How safe is BDSM? A literature review on fatal outcome in BDSM play. Int J Legal Med. 2022 Jan;136(1):287-295.

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Pathology

To behave in an extreme and unacceptable way

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Pacification

An attempt to create or maintain peace.

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Myth

It’s all about abuse and weirdness

Truth

It’s about trust, relationship, & communication

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The 4 Pillars of the Dom/Sub

Relationship

Trust

Communication

Respect

Honesty

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Historical Perspective

Ancient Greek art depicts BDSM. The Kama Sutra (300 A.D,) touts erotic spanking, and European references date from the 15th century. But BDSM flowered during the 18th century, when some European brothels began specializing in restraint, flagellation and other “punishments” that “dominant” women meted out to willingly “submissive” men.

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Psychological Functioning

Research indicates that people into BDSM are psychologically healthy and no more likely to have suffered child abuse or sexual trauma than anyone else.

In fact, a Dutch study shows that compared with the general population, in some ways BDSM Players might be psychologically healthier. (Psychology Today 4/2015)

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Men who engaged in BDSM scored significantly lower on a scale of psychological distress, than other men.

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We conclude that BDSM may be thought of as a recreational leisure, rather than the expression of psychopathological processes….

Wismeijer & Van Assen (2013)

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Or Pacification?

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Scientists at the University of Illinois measured cortisol levels (a key stress hormone) before and after participants BDSM Play and found decreased cortisol levels, showing that BDSM reduced players’ emotional stress.

(Psychology Today 4/2015)

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Case Studies…

There have been multiple cases of individuals who participate in Kink play who report that the practice provides a release which keeps them from pursuing various potentially harmful behaviors.

For example, those who indicate a problem with substance abuse, find they have less need for substances when they maintain their Kink practices.

Or cutters who report less of a need to “cut” when they participate in their Kink practices.

The bottom line seems to be that their Kink play serves as a pacification mentally and emotionally removing (or decreasing) the desires to use substances or cut.

For these folks, Kink becomes a harm reduction strategy….

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First, the individuals that struggled with NSSI (Non-suicidal Self-Injuring) experienced overwhelming negative feelings prior to self-injury, then felt a wave of relief and distraction, followed by deep regret and shame afterwards.

The BDSM group however stated that they felt excitement and anticipation ahead of time, a sense of excitement and pleasure during the encounter, and a wave of deep connection to their partner afterward, as well as a stronger sense of self empowerment and authenticity.

Psychology Today Blog, Oct. 2016

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Researchers at Idaho State University asked 935 kinksters what BDSM meant to them. The top answers were personal freedom (90 percent), adventure (91 percent), self-expression (91 percent), stress relief (91 percent), positive emotions (97 percent), and above all, pleasure (99 percent).

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