Kink (sexuality)

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In human sexuality, kinkiness is the use of sexual practices, concepts or fantasies that are not conventional. The term derives from the idea of a "bend" (cf. a "kink") in one's sexual behaviour, to contrast such behaviour with "straight" or "vanilla" sexual mores and proclivities. It is thus a colloquial term for non-normative sexual behaviour. [1] The term "kink" has been claimed by some who practice sexual fetishism as a term or synonym for their practices, indicating a range of sexual and sexualistic practices from playful to sexual objectification and certain paraphilias. In the 21st century the term "kink", along with expressions like BDSM, leather and fetish, has become more commonly used than the term paraphilia. [1] Some universities also feature student organizations focused on kinks, within the context of wider LGBTQ concerns. [2]

Contents

Kink sexual practices go beyond what are considered conventional sexual practices as a means of heightening the intimacy between sexual partners. Some draw a distinction between kink and fetishism, defining the former as enhancing partner intimacy, and the latter as replacing it. [3] Because of its relation to conformist sexual boundaries, which themselves vary by time and place, the definition of what is and is not a kink varies widely as well. [4] [5]

Prevalence

In a study published in 2016, 1040 persons "corresponding to the norm for the province of Quebec" were interviewed; nearly half of this sample reported an interest "in at least one paraphilic category", and approximately one-third had "had experience with such a practice at least once." [4]

Cause

Speculation on the cause of kinks has implicated biological, psychological and social origins. It is sometimes assumed that kinks (particularly masochism) are the result of trauma or childhood abuse, however research has shown that kink participants have slightly lower rates of childhood abuse and trauma than the general population. [6]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Shahbaz, Caroline; Chirinos, Peter (2016-10-04). Becoming a Kink Aware Therapist. Routledge. doi:10.4324/9781315295336. ISBN   978-1-315-29533-6.
  2. Coslor, Erica; Crawford, Brett; Brents, Barbara (2017-01-01). "Whips, Chains and Books on Campus: How Organizations Legitimate Their Stigmatized Practices" (PDF). Academy of Management Proceedings. 2017 (1): 12142. doi:10.5465/AMBPP.2017.12142abstract. hdl: 11343/158068 . ISSN   0065-0668. S2CID   148922389.
  3. Rothstein, Edward (5 October 2007). "What's Latex Got to Do With It?". The New York Times.
  4. 1 2 Joyal, Christian C.; Carpentier, Julie (3 March 2016). "The Prevalence of Paraphilic Interests and Behaviors in the General Population: A Provincial Survey". The Journal of Sex Research . 54 (2). Informa UK Limited: 161–171. doi:10.1080/00224499.2016.1139034. ISSN   0022-4499. PMID   26941021. S2CID   1671875.
  5. Meredith G. F. Worthen (10 June 2016). Sexual Deviance and Society: A sociological examination. Routledge. ISBN   978-1-317-59337-9.
  6. Williams, D J; Sprott, Richard A. (2022-12-01). "Current biopsychosocial science on understanding kink" . Current Opinion in Psychology. 48: 101473. doi:10.1016/j.copsyc.2022.101473. ISSN   2352-250X.

Further reading