Sometimes sadomasochistic needs are satisfied by dangerous autoerotic practices that are solo sex-related activities...
Unintended deaths (but such deaths are rather rare). In the United States an estimated 500 to 1,000 deaths per year result from autoerotic activities in 1993 (Hazelwood and others, 1993). Little research has been done on this group, but a study of 70 consecutive cases received by the FBI showed that two thirds of the victims had died while using materials or devices such as ropes, handcuffs, chains, hoods, gags, blindfolds, and belts to physically restrain or mentally humiliate themselves (Hazelwood and others, 1993).
The following is a typical case.
The victim a 32-year-old married father of three
was discovered dead on his bed by his 11-year-old
daughter. The victim was dressed in pantyhose a
lady’s sweater and a brassiere. His hands were
restrained to his sides by a soft belt. A sanitary pad
was in his mouth and a pink brassiere was wrapped
over the mouth and around the head. His scrotum
was swollen and exhibited two round areas
resembling old cigarette burns. A similar type burn
was located on the inner aspect of the left thigh near
the scrotum. The cause of death was determined to be
accidental asphyxiation. Because of the slack in the
belt restraining his wrists) it would have been possible
[or the victim to slip his feet between his arms)
thereby allowing him to remove the gag. Apparently
his judgment was impaired due to his asphyxial state.
-(Hazelwood and others, 1981, p. 131)
This victim's sadomasochistic needs apparently led him
to inflict burns on his own body as well as to use physical
restraints. It seems likely that many individuals who
inflict pain on themselves also have sadistic fantasies.
Drawings of sadistic fantasies done by a man who ultimately
died as a result of his autoerotic practices are
shown latter.
Asphyxiation is often combined with masturbation
to heighten sexual excitement] One person
who had engaged in autoerotic asphyxia for many years
by hanging himself while cross-dressed
provided the following information about this practice in an interview.
He enjoyed the feeling as he lost consciousness and
perceived his body going limp. Although he had
difficulty expressing the exact nature of the sensation
it appeared that numbness and possibly tingling were
part of what he sought and that a dissociative feeling
of watching his body go limp may have played a
major role for him. His habit was to use asphyxia as
a prelude to masturbation) and he reported that he
never ejaculated during asphyxiation. When rushed
for time instead of cross-dressing and hanging
himself, he would "give myself a quickie by applying
pressure to both sides of his neck with one hand until
losing consciousness.
-(Hazelwood and others, 1983, p. 84)
The majority of autoerotic deaths occur in teenagers
and young adult males, although the reported age
range is 9 to 77 and a small number of female deaths
have been reported (Brody, 1984). Some health professionals
believe that parents should be aware of this behavior.
As the mother of one victim commented,
Yes I saw the marks a rash like redness on his
Throat (allergy) he said. Yes he did take long
showers but all boys do. . . . We saw all the signs
. . . and my husband and I ignored them because
we had never heard of adolescent sexual
asphyxia. . . . After our son died we called his
school and told them what realty happened. We
begged them to warn other students but nothing was
ever done. The next year another boy in the school