Flagellation

18th century caricature of a woman flogging a man with a birch rod.

In BDSM, flagellation involves beating the submissive partner and is a form of impact play. Such a flogging is not always delivered with forceful blows; sometimes it is done with very soft blows repeated a great many times so as to make the skin sensitive, so that the softest impact can eventually feel very intense. Flogging for erotic thrill, typically with implements such as whips, paddles, or canes, has been called the "English vice", since corporal punishment in schools for boys resulted in some men having a flagellation fetish.

See also

• Cane
• Cat o'nine tails
• Corporal punishment
• Discipline
• Edgeplay
• Flogging
• Spanking