In the majority of literature related to Bondage and Domination/Dominance and Submission/Sadism and Masochism (or Sadomasochism) (BDSM; Connolly, 2006), there exists a focus on the pathologization of such interactions, and little attention is given to those who represent a normative BDSM-oriented population (Cross & Matheson, 2006; Reiersøl & Skeid, 2006). A closer look at the extant literature that discusses nonpathological expressions of BDSM reveals the act of consent to be paramount. Research that analyzes normative expressions of BDSM suggests that consensual BDSM interactions can influence individuals in various ways, such as through the mediating effects of sexual scripts (Santtila, Sandnabba, Alison, & Nordling, 2002) and heightened connection through an exchange of agency (Langdridge, 2007). Nonpathological sexual interaction is based on the construct of consent, though consent is often assumed rather than asserted (Beres, 2007); this is not the case in most BDSM interactions, however (Moser & Kleinplatz, 2007; Langdridge, 2006, 2007). While the realm of BDSM encompasses a vast range of potential activities, the single universal characteristic in normative BDSM sexual interactions is that which is considered a fundamental tenet in the BDSM community: explicit consent (Connolly, 2006; Taylor & Ussher, 2001; Yost, 2010). An examination of normative BDSM interactions highlights the importance of explicit rather than tacit agreements of consent in every type of sexual interaction.