o.k, so addressing the question about childhood experiances shaping adult sexuality, to my mind there can no doubt that this is a true statement. most childhood experience shape adult behaviour to some extent. It is not a direct correlation (and this is where the nature verses nuture debate comes in) but it has to contribute.

I do think though that your question is more about wether sexual abuse be that in childhood or in adulthood shapes sexuality. and I think that that is a different and more difficult question to answer.

I would personally doubt that was a proportionately high number instances of sexual abuse in the past of BDSM practitioners than 'vanilla' adults. I would imagine that it would be far more likely that for what ever reason, people who find themselves involved in the community also have personality traits that would make them more likely to share there experiences, or possibly that the very deep and intense bond that can develop in this community makes it easier for abuse victims to admit and discuss what has happened.

In terms of mental health and BDSM there are many good peer reviewed studies that suggest that practitioners of BDSM have better mental Heath on the whole than a case controlled group of equivalent sexually active adults.


unfortunately this view is a relatively modern way of thinking and In fact the most recent addition of the manual of mental health disorders (the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders or DSM-5) does list some aspects of BDSM as potentially problematic. BDSM is listed in the DSM-5 as a paraphilia, or unusual sexual fixation, but this has been a very controversial addition, and subject and as written, the DSM-5 does not label BDSM a disorder unless it causes harm (mental health harm) to the practitioner or to others.

I would argue that anything that causes mental harm to yourself or others would be seems as problematic, by the very diffinition ! Also in fairly recent history women where put away in mental instatutuions some times for life and subject to horrific 'treatments' for the inexcusable perversion of masterbation.

The truth is that many modem study's have found that practitioners of bondage, discipline, sadism and masochism, or BDSM, score better on a variety of personality and psychological measures than "vanilla" people who don't engage in unusual sex acts.


*shrugs*

Interesting subjects to be sure.

good luck in your search for understanding.