“Oh, Are You Just Kinky in Bed?”: Tying Together the Personal, Interpersonal, and Sociocultural Dimensions of BDSM

This study explored multifaceted functions of BDSM in practitioners' well-being by contextualizing their experiences in nested environmental systems through the lens of Bronfenbrenner's (1979) ecological theory.Consensual Qualitative Research (CQR) was used to analyze interview data from 19 BDSM practitioners.The results demonstrated three dimensions of well-being: Personal, Interpersonal, and Sociocultural.The tripartite analysis suggested that (a) BDSM fostered personal growth, emotion regulation, sexual discovery, and sexual consciousness development, (b) BDSM strengthened safety, intimacy, pleasure, attunement, and communication in partnerships, and (c) BDSM facilitated community engagement, resource sharing, and power analysis.Additionally, participants mentioned how BDSM intersected other aspects of their identities and social structures, reinforcing shame and stigma about their sexuality.The findings affirm the need to further examine and promote positive sexuality, especially alternative sexuality such as BDSM, to resist oppressive power structures.