A Survey of the United Kink-dom: Investigating Five Paraphilic Interest Groups and Their Demographic and Psychological Correlates.

Abstract

We explored demographic, psychological, and behavioral characteristics of five paraphilic interest groups in the UK: BDSM, pet play, age play/ABDL, furries, and balloon fetishists - chosen for their prevalence, power dynamics, and varied activities. Through an anonymous survey (N = 470), we assessed role identities, engagement patterns, and relational dynamics. Groups were more likely to have non-heterosexual, non-monogamous, and non-cisgender identities, with high levels of co-occurrence across paraphilic interests. Participants were predominantly cisgender men, though over 25% identified as non-cisgender. Men were more likely to take on dominant roles, women submissive roles, and nonbinary people switch roles. There were differences in Dark Triad traits based on role identity. A minority of participants did not pair their interests with sex, especially pet players and furries. Bimodal distributions in the centrality of paraphilic interests to sexual identity underscore implications for sub-group classification and add to discourse of paraphilias as a dimension of sexual orientation. Relationship satisfaction correlated with shared paraphilic interests. Some associations were found between age play and pedophilic fantasies and behaviors and pet play/furries and zoophilic fantasies and behaviors, but this was only for a small minority. This work expands on existing literature by contextualizing findings within broader societal and relational frameworks and addressing stigmatized stereotypes. Recommendations include longitudinal and cross-cultural studies to explore the evolution of paraphilic interests and their intersection with psychosocial variables.