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Study finds BDSM subculture has lower levels of rape-supportive beliefs

October 31, 2016
Study co-authors Kathryn Klement (left), Brad Sagarin and Ellen Lee.

Study co-authors Kathryn Klement (left), Brad Sagarin and Ellen Lee.

A new study by NIU psychologists suggests that evidence for the effectiveness of the “Yes Means Yes” affirmative-consent movement, which has taken hold on many college campuses nationwide, might be found in an unlikely subculture—the BDSM community.

While some critics of BDSM associate it with sexual aggression, the subculture has had long-standing norms of affirmative consent, the researchers said. Their study found BDSM practitioners also report lower levels of rape-supportive beliefs than individuals surveyed from outside the subculture.

Read the full story in the NIU Newsroom.