The term "BDSM" is an abbreviation erived from the terms bondage and discipline, domination and submission, sadism and masochism. It defines a spectrum of behaviors, including dominance, submission, punishment, masochism, bondage, role play, and a large variety of other activities, frequently sexual in nature. "BDSM" is the collective term for a group of related sexual preferences common in issue-related literature, which are sometimes referred to as "D/s", "Sadomasochism", or "S&M" (also written "S-and-M").