@lillyrose - I agree with that the incidence of prior abuse in bdsm is probably the same as in any other community although logically one may expect it to be lower.

I attempted to offer a reasonable explanation for the OP observation that there is a "abnormally high number". Your explanation is simply to challenge the observation. You do not offer a different observation. You challenge on the basis 2 observers is not statistically valid. This it true but it does not mean they are wrong any more than 2 eyewitnesses are wrong. They may be right and they may be wrong. They are onservations, views, opinions. Your views are not necessarily wrong because there is only one of you !

I take exception to your accusation it is " irresponsible to suggest that people either lie about nor exaggerate abuse.". Tell me why is it irresponsible. Is it irresponsible for medical professional to consider Munchausen syndrome. Is it irresponsible for statisticians to consider human nature in survey responses or to consider that srtatistics may be skewed. Is it irresponsible to suggest people on the internet may be less than truthful.. Is it irresponsible to consider that an allegation of abuse may be false.

Your accusation of irresponsibility seems to come from sympathy not science. The recent investigations in the wake of the Jimmy Saville scandal has highlighted this. Police policy used to be to presume truth when it concerns abuse allegations. However there have been several cases like the allegations against Cliff Richards that have proved to be false. This has forced to police to reconsider. They now deem it irresponsible to presume truth in abuse allegations any more than in another allegation. The responsible way is to keep open mind that claims may be true or false.

You say you have "some experiance in treating sexual abuse survivors". How does one get "some experience". It suggests to me you are not a professional but may have indirect experience like a nurse. Are you suggesting you know more about the issues in question. We are not talking about how to treat abuse here, we are talking incidence and correlation ie cause and effect.

FYI - I have met people online who have told me about abuse that range from cases where there is no doubt to alien abductions. There are undoubtably a lot of youngsters in the online community and comic book mentality is commonplace. There is also those who believe the internet is fantasy land, bdsm is roleplay and they should be "in character" all the time.