Psychology Today
Key points
Intimate partner violence is nonconsensual physical/sexual violence, stalking, or psychological aggression.
BDSM is a range of erotic play that can include consensual dominance/submission, sadism/masochism, or bondage.
Both IPV and BDSM can include some of the same actions, but the motivations and outcomes are quite different.
Consent is the primary distinguishing factor that makes BDSM pleasureable and IPV abusive.
Intimate partner violence (IPV) is nonconsensual abuse between or among significant others, and especially romantic parnters. The Centers for Disease Control identifies intimate partner violence as a significant public health issue that occurs across all ages, races, ethnicities, sexual orientations, genders, regions, and social classes. Indeed it is a global
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