We’ve tackled Bondage and Discipline first and Dominance and Submission last time. Today, let’s talk about the final part of BDSM. Let’s talk about  Sadism and Masochism.

            Sadism and Masochism, or Sadomasochism, is the giving or receiving pleasure from acts involving the receipt or infliction of pain and/or humiliation.

            Did you know that the term “sadism” and “masochism” is actually derived from two authors?

            The word “sadism” came from a French noble, Donatien Alphonse François, Marquis de Sade. He was best known for his erotic works, which combined philosophical discourse with pornography, depicting sexual fantasies with an emphasis on violence, suffering, criminality, and blasphemy against Christianity.

            The word “masochism” came from an Austrian noble, Leopold von Sacher-Masoch. He was best known for his work, Venus in Furs. The term “masochism” was coined by an Austrian psychiatrist, Richard Freiherr von Krafft-Ebing, because of the incident in 1869 when Sacher-Masoch and his mistress Baroness Fanny Pistor signed a contract making him her slave for a period of six months, with the stipulation that the Baroness wear furs as often as possible, especially when she was in a cruel mood.

            According to Anil Aggrawal; in forensic science, levels of sexual sadism and masochism are classified as follows:

Sexual masochists:

• Class I: Bothered by, but not seeking out, fantasies. May be preponderantly sadists with minimal masochistic tendencies or non-sadomasochistic with minimal masochistic tendencies
• Class II: Equal mix of sadistic and masochistic tendencies. Like to receive pain but also like to be dominant partner (in this case, sadists). Sexual orgasm is achieved without pain or humiliation.
• Class III: Masochists with minimal to no sadistic tendencies. Preference for pain or humiliation (which facilitates orgasm), but not necessary to orgasm. Capable of romantic attachment.
• Class IV: Exclusive masochists (i.e. cannot form typical romantic relationships, cannot achieve orgasm without pain or humiliation).

Sexual sadists:

• Class I: Bothered by sexual fantasies but do not act on them.
• Class II: Act on sadistic urges with consenting sexual partners (masochists or otherwise).
• Class III: Act on sadistic urges with non-consenting victims, but do not seriously injure or kill. May coincide with sadistic rapists.
• Class IV: Only act with non-consenting victims and will seriously injure or kill them.

The difference between I–II and III–IV is consent.

            And that’s it about S/M. What are your thoughts about it? Did you learn anything new today? Do you have anything to add? Do you have any suggestions and recommendation? Please tell us all about it in the comments below. Thank you for reading!