Sadomasochism

A critical study of contemporary and historical sadomasochism which considers how well traditional theories reflect the real activities of self-styled sado-masochists and whether the trend toward criminalizaton of SM can be justified. Set against a background of the controversial Operation Spanner which resulted in the jailing of two consenting sado-masochists for up to 4 years, this book contributes to the debates around the morality and legality of sado-masochism. It provides an extensive review of the socio-historical aspects of sado-masochism, exposes the similarities between the evangelical, the separatist feminist, and the traditional psychological criticism of SM, and studies SM both from the perspective of those who are sado-masochists as well as those "moral guardians" attempting to label SM activities as harmful and dangerous.