Do Women Like To Be Spanked? [2024 Statistics & Figures]

Spanking is on the rise. Unfortunately, many people do it without knowing why so we dive deeper into it and find out: do women like to be spanked? Read on:

Most of us have given or received a playful spanking, but what makes a slap on the butt so exciting? Numbers vary, but it’s safe to say about half of us enjoy giving or receiving a good spanking.

Some people spank hard, some people spank light, but tons of people do it without really knowing why. So we dug up the data on how many women like to spank, be spanked, and more.

Here are some highlights from our research:

70% of women and 61% of men are turned on by spanking during sex.
27.5% of male and 28.2% of trans/nonbinary undergraduates said they’ve spanked their partner hard enough to leave a mark more than five times.
One survey found that 4.8% of men and 2.1% of women gain sexual pleasure from inflicting pain.
A study of 304 popular porn scenes found that women were spanked a total of 953 times, while men were only spanked 26 times.

Table of Contents

Do Women Like to Be Spanked?

You’ve probably met women who enjoy being spanked during sex, but just how common is it? Among women in the kink community, it’s almost universal.

You should always ask before a spanking, but chances are your partner is into it – male or female. So here’s a look at the data.

Sexual spanking is roleplay. It’s part of a scene for mutual pleasure. The person being spanked enjoys being spanked, and the person spanking enjoys spanking. (Fatherly, 2018)¹
In a study of kinky women, 95.7% said they participated in giving or receiving spankings. Spanking ranked 3rd among all BDSM-related behaviors. (Archives of Sexual Behavior, 2015)²
Spanking can stimulate vaginal nerve endings if the right spot is spanked. (Men’s Health, 2017)³
One survey found that 70% of women and 61% of men are turned on by spanking during sex. (Men’s Health, 2017)³
A 1998 survey found that 49% of men and 38% of women have either spanked or been spanked during sex. (National Coalition for Sexual Freedom, 1998)⁴
A survey of undergraduate students found that 17% of men and 46% of women had either spanked or been spanked sexually. (The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 2021)⁵
In one study, 21.4% of women reported having been choked during sex. (The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 2020)⁶
A study of women in the kink community found the following data: (Archives of Sexual Behavior, 2015)²
- 56.52% of women in the kink community have spanked another person.
- 85.13% of women in the kink community have received spankings from others.
- 93.99% of women in the kink community have both given and/or received spankings during sex.
- 56.71% of women in the kink community have observed a spanking for pleasure.

How Hard and How Often Do People Spank?

When it comes to spanking, what’s too hard and what’s not hard enough? Usually, your partner will tell you.

However, we dug up a study on spanking that shows how many people spank for fun and how many spank to leave a mark. Here are the numbers.

A study of undergraduates found that they spanked their partners with the following frequencies and intensities: (The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 2021)⁵
- Lightly spanked a partner’s behind/butt
  - Total
    - Never – 39.8%
    - Once or twice – 15.5%
    - 3-5 times – 10.3%
    - More than 5 times – 34.4%
  - Women
    - Never – 60.6%
    - Once or twice – 16.0%
    - 3-5 times – 7.7%
    - More than 5 times – 15.6%
  - Men
    - Never – 18.3%
    - Once or twice – 15.1%
    - 3-5 times – 13.0%
    - More than 5 times – 53.6%
  - Trans/Non-Binary
    - Never – 32.3%
    - Once or twice – 12.1%
    - 3-5 times – 10.6%
    - More than 5 times – 45.0%

Spanked partner hard enough to leave a mark
- - Total
    - Never – 65.3%
    - Once or twice – 12.3%
    - 3-5 times – 6.5%
    - More than 5 times – 16.0%
  - Women
    - Never – 86.9%
    - Once or twice – 6.2%
    - 3-5 times – 2.4%
    - More than 5 times – 4.5%
  - Men
    - Never – 43.2%
    - Once or twice – 18.6%
    - 3-5 times – 10.8%
    - More than 5 times – 27.5%
  - Trans/Non-Binary
    - Never – 54.9%
    - Once or twice – 11.5%
    - 3-5 times – 5.4%
    - More than 5 times – 28.2%

Why Do People Want to Be Spanked?

Spanking is an interesting phenomenon, and many people can’t explain why it’s so fun for them. Studies on masochism and sadism shed some light on the psychological aspects of spanking.

In one study, participants gave the following reasons for their interest in masochism/submission activities, such as spanking. (The Journal of Sex Research, 2020)⁷
- Intrinsic (caused by an individual’s personal history) – 78% of testimonies
  - Inexplicable
    - The person cannot explain the origin, but it has always been there
  - Inexplicable with late realization
    - The person felt the proclivity was intrinsic but only realized it or indulged in it during adulthood
  - Response to inner imbalance
    - The activity has a soothing or therapeutic effect
- Extrinsic (caused by an outside factor) – 22% of testimonies
  - Associated with childhood sexual abuse – 11% of testimonies
    - Interests in m/s are thought to derive from childhood sexual abuse
  - Associated with parental discipline – 9% of testimonies
    - Interests in m/s are thought to derive from severe childhood parental discipline (e.g., corporal punishment)
  - Associated with positive operant learning – 9% of testimonies
    - Interests in m/s are thought to derive from the pairing of a neutral stimulus with an emotional and/or sexual arousal reaction (e.g., childhood plays)
  - Introduced by another person – 9% of testimonies
    - Interests in m/s developed after the practitioner was initiated by someone else (e.g., a new boyfriend)
  - Associated with a chronic illness – 1% of testimonies
    - Interests in m/s are thought to derive from a chronic and painful childhood condition

Spanking in Pornography

People imitate porn, but porn also imitates people. In either case, it involves a lot of spanking.

The prevalence of spanking in porn helps show its popularity and encourages people to do it.

A study of popular porn scenes found that spanking took place in 75.3% of them. (Violence Against Women, 2010)⁸
The aforementioned study found that in 304 porn scenes, women were spanked a total of 953 times while men were only spanked 26 times. (Violence Against Women, 2010)⁸

Why Do Women Spank?

We’ve talked a lot about women getting spanked, but many prefer to be the ones doing the spanking.

It can be about power, pain, or a variety of other reasons; here’s a look at the data.

A 1974 survey found that 4.8% of men and 2.1% of women got sexual pleasure from inflicting pain. (National Coalition for Sexual Freedom, 1998)⁴
The same survey found that 2.5% of men and 4.6% of women got sexual pleasure from receiving pain. (National Coalition for Sexual Freedom, 1998)⁴
Participants in one study gave the following reasons for engaging in masochism or submission activities, including, but not limited to, spanking. (The Journal of Sex Research, 2020)⁷
- Power – 46% of testimonies
  - Giving power to someone else – 28% of testimonies
    - The person lets another one decide what to do by giving orders or instructions.
  - Being physically restrained – 18% of testimonies
    - The person is physically restrained and depends on another person to be freed.
  - Trusting – 19% of testimonies
    - The person specified that trusting a partner is crucial.
- Pain – 37% of testimonies
  - Receiving physical pain – 46% of testimonies
    - Receiving moderate to severe physical pain (e.g., flogging, whipping, cutting, branding, electric choc) is specifically stressed.
  - Being spanked – 18% of testimonies
    - A reason to practice masochism/submission is to be spanked.
- Cognition – 28% of testimonies
  - Reaching an altered state of consciousness – 12% of testimonies
    - Mind alteration is a reason to practice masochism/submission, use of words commonly related to drug effects or spiritual experience (e.g., floating, flying, being high, well-being), altered awareness of outer or inner stimulations; hypnotic or trance-like feelings, enhanced or reduced sensory acuity.
  - Being focused and/or relaxed – 9% of testimonies
    - Use of words commonly related to meditation, relaxation, or leisure (attentional focus, slowing of train of thoughts, putting aside day-to-day worries).
  - Being humiliated – 7% of testimonies
    - A reason to practice masochism/submission is specifically to feel humiliated, the feeling of being in a lower position compared to another person.

Conclusion

Spanking is an exciting and natural part of sex and foreplay. All genders and sexes enjoy spanking, whether they’re on the giving end or the receiving end.

Women in the kink community overwhelmingly love spanking, and the prevalence could be as high as 70% for everyone else. Some people spank playfully, while others spank as a form of sadism or masochism.

Spanking is rooted deep in our psychology and can add playful elements of power and pain to our sexual experiences. But, no matter where it comes from, it provides a healthy and sensual way to make sex more exhilarating.

Overall, spanking with consent is harmless. It’s a low-threat way to incorporate safe pain and power dynamics into our sex lives. If you’re used to being spanked or doing the spanking, try reversing your role during sex – you might just find that you like it.

For more interesting sex studies and statistics, head over to our guide here.

Footnotes

Fatherly, 2018. An article on why people enjoy being spanked during sex using input from an acclaimed sex therapist and dominatrix.
Archives of Sexual Behavior, 2015. A study on various types of erotic behaviors using data from 1,580 women in the kink community.
Men’s Health, 2017. An article on spanking during sex using data from a survey of over 4,500 people and other sources.
National Coalition for Sexual Freedom, 1998. An article on sadism and masochism in the bedroom using data from several surveys.
The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 2021. A study on the sexual behaviors of 4,989 randomly sampled American undergraduate students.
The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 2020. A study on the diverse sexual behaviors and pornography use of a sample of Americans ages 18 to 60.
The Journal of Sex Research, 2020. A study on the appeal of spanking and other sexual behaviors using data from 152 online forum respondents.
Violence Against Women, 2010. A study on physical and verbal aggression taking place in 304 pornography scenes.