Tristan Taormino - The Ultimate Guide to Kink - BDSM, Role Play, and the Erotic Edge

Richard Freiherr von Krafft-Ebing (1840-1902), a German-Austrian psychiatrist, adopted the term sadism for professional use in 1898; however, he first discussed the sexual nature of sadistic experiences in 1886, in Psychopathia Sexualis :

The experience of sexual, pleasurable sensations (including orgasm) produced by acts of cruelty, bodily punishment afflicted on one’s person or when witnessed in others, be they animals or human beings. It may also consist of an innate desire to humiliate, hurt, wound or even destroy others in order, thereby, to create sexual pleasure in ones self. [12] 2 Richard Freiherr von Krafft-Ebing, Psychopathia Sexualis (Stuttgart, Germany: Verlag Von Ferdinand Enke, 1886), 109.

By using the adjective innate , Krafft-Ebing shows he firmly believes one can be born a Sadist. I completely agree with this possibility; I often say I am just wired this way. Later definitions of sadistic behaviors put forth by the psychology community did not include Krafft-Ebing’s original assertion that Sadists could derive sexual pleasure from watching others receiving acts of cruelty or bodily punishment. [13] 3 In addition, subsequent behavioral descriptors of sadism do not include behavior toward animals. This is especially important to me because I do become sexually aroused when watching a scene in which the bottom is suffering. Yet, I do not derive sexual pleasure while watching a fistfight or poking my patients with needles for blood draws.

Krafft-Ebing used the term sadism to describe a set of sexual behaviors, specifically the behaviors practiced and written about by the Marquis de Sade, a renowned French author who lived from 1740 to 1814. It is obvious the word sadism is derived from the name of de Sade himself as well as the French word sadisme . S adisme appeared in an 1834 French dictionary written by lexicographer Pierre-Claude-Victor Boiste. Krafft-Ebing’s original definition did not differentiate between consensual or nonconsensual acts. One can argue that his definition addresses nonconsensual behavior, as this is what the Marquis de Sade wrote about. The marquis’s works included graphic descriptions of acts in which the “victim” (I put this in quotes because today we call them bottoms) was made to suffer, feel pain, and be humiliated, which resulted in the sexual gratification of the aggressor. For example:

He bleeds both of her arms and would have her remain standing while her blood flows; now and again he stops the bleeding and flogs her, then he opens the wounds again, and this continues until she collapses. He only discharges when she faints. [14] 4 Marquis de Sade, The 120 Days of Sodom and Other Writings (New York: Grove Press, 1987), 642.

She raises a storm, criticizing their behavior toward her and describing it as unjust. “‘Were it just,’ says the Duc, wiping his razor, ‘it would surely fail to give us an erection.’” [15] 5 Marquis de Sade, 642.

But the darling girl’s pleas were worse than futile, for Dubourg, far from being disgusted by the spectacle of her suffering, actually savored it, delighted in it, thrived on it! Striking her once, twice, a third time, he fell madly on top of her and began nuzzling her bloody mouth. [16] 6 Marquis de Sade, Justine, The Complete Marquis de Sade, Volume 1 , John S. Yankowski, trans. (Los Angeles: Holloway House Publishing, 2005), 65.

You may have heard the term sexual sadism . Given the fact that sadism was coined to explain a form of sexual gratification, many authorities believe it is redundant to say “sexual sadism,” preferring simply “sadism.”

Not only did the Marquis de Sade write about acts of sexual perversion, he apparently indulged in them. His most famous “victim” was Rose Keller. According to the court in which he was tried for his acts, de Sade picked up Rose Keller and took her to a home in Arcueil where he reportedly bound and flogged her. Due to the lack of physical evidence, it is not known whether de Sade raped her.

Among the numerous reports of his participation in orgies, one well-known account states that he hired four prostitutes to take part in an orgy that included a round of flogging during which everyone was flogged, including de Sade himself and his servant. It was this encounter for which the marquis was arrested for poisoning and sodomy. De Sade was accused of slipping something equivalent to Spanish fly into some aniseed sweets. (Rather than sexually arousing the prostitutes, it made them very sick.)

In 1898, Krafft-Ebing described sadistic behavior in sexual terms:

The quality of sadistic acts is defined by the relative potency of the tainted individual. If potent, the impulse of the sadist is directed to coitus, coupled with preparatory concomitant or consecutive maltreatment. [17] 7 Krafft-Ebing, 53.

Note how he describes the behavior of a sexual act being fueled by the “maltreatment” of another human. You can also see that he believes the amount of discomfort felt by the victim is a direct factor in the degree of sexual gratification.

The term sadism originally described a behavior, not a psychological disorder. Subsequently, the psychiatric community attached the classification of paresthesia (an abnormal or perverse sexual feeling) to it. In 1980, the American Psychiatric Association changed the classification of sadism from a paresthesia to a paraphilia (a recurring sexual fantasy or behavior that involves unusual and especially socially unacceptable sexual practices), which is how it is still classified. [18] 8 This general definition of paraphilia is from Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 11th ed. Psychiatric definition: “The essential features of a Paraphilia are recurrent, intense sexually arousing fantasies, sexual urges or behaviors generally involving (1) nonhuman objects, (2) the suffering or humiliation of oneself or one’s partner, or (3) children or other nonconsenting persons that occur over a period of at least 6 months.” The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR), American Psychiatric Association (Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing, 2000), 573.

The behavior associated with sadism has not changed since it was first defined. What has changed is the American Psychiatric Association’s classification and diagnostic criteria for sadism and our view of what is healthy and unhealthy sadism. Today, if the sadism is consensual and not harmful to the person or to others, the association does not consider it to be a paraphilia. It is only labeled a paraphilia when it is deemed unhealthy and causes the person significant distress, and then it is defined as a psychosexual disorder comprising thoughts, sexual fantasies, or acts with nonconsenting persons or objects involving pain or humiliation of oneself or another. [19] 9 The language of the DSM-IV-TR reads: “The diagnosis is made if the behavior [see previous note], sexual urges, or fantasies cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.” American Psychiatric Association, 573. Even the American Psychiatric Association says you can consent to pain and suffering!

The acronym BDSM is relatively new when compared to behaviors it describes, which date back more than two millennia. Within the BDSM community, the term sadism has mutated into something it is not. While we do know the origin of the word and the context in which it was first used, the old definition has become bastardized. Someone once said to me, “I suppose you could argue that it is not sadistic to give someone something they somehow enjoy, but in our world, sadism tends to be more about who is delivering the pain, not about how it is received.” There does not need to be, nor should there be, any modification to the term sadism other than adding the word consensual . If you do not fit the behavior, don’t change the established definition of a word that describes the behavior to make it fit you. Don’t say you’re a Sadist; just say you are topping someone. While some may complain that they hate labels and definitions, the language we use is important for communication and general understanding.