Journal of Sex Education and Therapy ISSN: 0161-4576 (Print) (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/wzjs20 Group Masturbation Among Young and Old(er): A Summary With Questions Martha Cornog To cite this article: Martha Cornog (2001) Group Masturbation Among Young and Old(er): A Summary With Questions, Journal of Sex Education and Therapy, 26:4, 340-346 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01614576.2001.11074442 Published online: 21 Jan 2015. Submit your article to this journal Article views: 6 View related articles Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=wzjs20 Download by: [University of California, San Diego] Date: 13 February 2016, At: 21:34 jOURNAL OF SEX EDUCATION AND THERAPY VoL. 26, No. 4 PRINTED IN U.S.A. Group Masturbation Among Young and Old(er): A Summary With Questions Martha Cornog Philadelphia, PA Masturbation involving groups has been virtually unstudied. There is some evidence that a substantial percentage of heterosexual and homosexual men have participated in group mas­ turbation as boys. Girls, who masturbate with lower incidence and less frequently than boys, appear to form pairs more often than groups for masturbation. At least 40 organized adult men's masturbation clubs exist worldwide. Probably many more small, informal male groups flourish less publicly. Adult women's recreational sex groups do not appear to focus on masturbation per se. A few mixed-gender adult masturbation clubs exist. Conjectures are given about participation by males versus females, number and characteristics of partici­ pants, and trends. -]SET 26:340-346, 2001 We have termed onanism a solitary vice, and nothing used to assemble to practice this vice, and that a whole is more just. It has also been termed a contagious vice, school is still polluted by it (p. 48). and nothing is more true (Walling, 1904, pp. 46-47). lthough we usually think of masturbation as a Curiously, group masturbation has been virtually A solo activity, masturbation can be shared with a unstudied. I shall summarize what we do know about sexual partner, in person, or via telephone or computer. it from both nonscholarly and scholarly sources, with Masturbation also happens in groups. In 1724, the anti­ the hope to inspire some curious researchers to go masturbation tract Onania mentioned it among both much further and conduct empirical studies. males and females: Young People's Behavior Would all Masters of Schools have but a strict Eye over their Scholars; (amongst whom nothing is more com­ Circle jerk is a colloquial expression for what is tradi­ mon, than the Commission of this vile Sin, the Elder tionally described as a boys' game. I have collected over Boys Teaching it to the Younger ... ) [and] I am credi­ 100 anecdotes about youthful shared masturbation. bly inform'd, it is now become almost as frequent Most came from published books and issues of Celebrate amongst Girls ... [T]he Governess of one of the most eminent Boarding-Schools .. surpriz' d and detected the Self magazine (CTS). The CTS editor included a flyer some of her Scholars, (to her great astonishment and with one issue soliciting additional stories, and several concern) in the very Fact; and who upon Examination more were sent to me via letters and e-mails. In addi­ confess'd, that they very frequently Practis'd it (Ona­ tion, I contributed questions about group masturbation nia, 1724 I 1974, pp. v-vii). to a longer survey about sexual behavior, conducted in Tissot's classic (1832/1974) from a century later also February 1999 by David Weis. Subjects were midwest­ refers to group masturbation: ern undergraduate college students. After a question [A] whole school sometimes strove by this practice, to about solo masturbation frequency, the next question . .. keep themselves awake during the lectures upon asked if respondents had participated in "masturbation Downloaded by [University of California, San Diego] at 21:34 13 February 2016 scholastic metaphysics, delivered by a sleepy professor in the presence of companions" up to age 18. If the an­ . .. Some years since, it was discovered in the city, that swer was yes, respondents were asked subsequent a company of libertines, fourteen or fifteen years old, questions about the experience. Of the 74 women and 20 men responding, 3 women and 1 man reported group masturbation-about 4% - 5%. Martha Cornog, MA, MS, is affiliated with a professional med­ While these anecdotes do not constitute a large or ical association, which has no connection with this research or this paper. statistically valid data set, they provide an idea of the The author thanks Robert Bahr, David Weis, and "Dr. Woof" for types and range of experiences among both boys and assistance in gathering data, and Timothy Perper for suggestions girls. Here are several examples about boys. about theory and conjectures. A version of this paper was presented at the Society for the Sci­ When I was about 15, the six or eight boys who "hung entific Study of Sexuality Midcontinent Region Annual Conference, "Masturbation & Fantasy: Implications for Sexual Health," May 20- together" indulged in a summer of group masturba­ 23, 1999, Madison, Wisconsin. tion (speed to ejaculation, accuracy in placing ejaculate Address for correspondence: Martha Cornog, 717 Pemberton in chalk circle on basement floor, etc.), oral sex, and at­ Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147. E-mail: <[email protected]>. tempts at anal sex (Brecher, 1984, p. 217). 340 CORNOG 341 [W]hen I was on the swim team at school, [w]e had a Now, some stories about girls. coach who advocated nudity among the swimmers as a means of building a stronger, trusting, cohesive team My best friend introduced masturbation to me [at age ... [Next w]e were receiving lectures from him about 10] when we were younger. We used stuffed animals jerking off as a means of building trust and sharing and baby bottles (over our clothes) . .. [We also] pre­ within the team. Well, I was one of the first to get a tended to play "boyfriend I girlfriend." One of us boner in the shower room . .. [so] I took the situation would pretend to be the boy (College student sample). in hand and began jerking ... After a few minutes, an- other guy began doing the same, and then another, My sad case is, that when I was a young Girl of be­ until finally everyone in the shower was stroking their tween 15 and 16 Years of Age, at the Boarding-School, clicks. It wasn't long until some heavy loads were fly­ being entic'd and shew'd the way by 3 of my School­ ing into the middle of the floor. This gradually became Fellows, older than my Self, which lay in the Chamber a regular occurrence (Locker Room Days, 1999, p. 2). with me, two Beds being in the Room, I did as they did . .. and I thought it was pleasing enough (Onania, [A]bout five Years ago, when I went to School, I and 1724/1974, p. 163). three or four more, on a Holiday, went a Bird-catching; when we were sat down, one of our Companions, who Being about seven and having orgy-type sessions with was about 20 Years of Age, the rest of us not being one or two other little girls. We'd touch ourselves and above 15, ask'd us, Whether ever we saw the Seed of rub on the side of the bed until orgasm ... We were Man? We reply'd We never did. He told us . .. he also having oral sex at this age (with each other) would shew us, which he did, by Self-Pollution; and (Winks & Semans, 1997, p. 67). which, tho' it fir'd my Inclination, yet I attempted it not till a Year after (Onania, 1724/1974, p. 64). Sometimes there were just one or two people, but other times there were up to five or more guys and When I was in about the 7th grade .. [t]wo of the other girls [in] a gang of 10 or more members. We would all kids in the car pool and I were tight j I o buddies . .. I get together and sort of play a game where first we would sit in the middle and lean forward against the would masturbate ourselves and we would mastur­ back of the front seat and talk to the guys in front ... bate each other and the one who lasted the longest [T]his made it impossible for anyone to see that my (the one to come last) would be the winner and that buddies each had one of their hands in my crotch, rub­ person would get to receive oral sex from all the oth­ bing my hard cock through my jeans. Just before we ers who lost! [How old were you?] Sixteen. [How got to school (they would time it perfectly), they would long did you participate?] About 3 yrs (College stu­ make me shoot my load into my underwear (That Old dent sample). Gang of Mine, 1995, p. 13). I collected 90 stories about boys, but only 18 about I began to masturbate when I was a 13-year-old boy. girls. It appears that girls' experiences can be similar My sister . .. began to menstruate & masturbate at 10 to boys' but perhaps less common-and perhaps less years old . .. One day I spied on my sister masturbat- publicly recounted. Girls' stories described shared ing .. I was so excited I jerked off into my underwear. Next day, I let her catch me naked in my bedroom jerk­ masturbation in pairs more often than in groups.