RACK/PRICK/SSC
If you have spent any time at all in BDSM spaces, or following Myself or other Dominatrices, you have likely seen these acronyms floating around, but what exactly are they?
As the BDSM community evolved, people realized there needed to be clarity on the distinction between consensual BDSM activities, and non-consensual acts of harm like assault and abuse. Thus, participants in the BDSM scene came up with the credo of Safe, Sane, and Consensual. This initial principle was intended to convey the pillars of BDSM:
Safe = the activities are, well, safe
Sane = the participants are of sound mind
Consensual = the participants all agree to the activity in question
For a couple decades, SSC was the main guiding code for the vast majority of the BDSM community, and it is still in use, especially in more “old school” BDSM spaces. However, over time, many in the community began to take issue with SSC as a motto, for a myriad of reasons. Some participants in more “taboo” or “risky” kinks felt excluded or judged by the descriptor of “safe”, and others felt that it was inadequate, being that nothing in life is ever truly safe, as anything can become dangerous in the wrong circumstances. Additionally, many individuals within the community took issue with the descriptor “sane”, as it can be used to exclude BDSM participants who may struggle with mental health issues, despite those individuals still being perfectly able to consent.
Due to these issues, alternative terms were suggested. RACK, or Risk Aware Consensual Kink, is, in My experience, the current most widely used motto within the community.
Risk Aware addresses the shortcomings of the previous “safe”. It acknowledges that nothing in life, much less in BDSM, is ever truly “safe”, that there are risks in all things, and most importantly, that all participants should be aware of those risks, whatever they may be. It also drops the problematic “sane”, and instead concludes with a focus on consensual kink.
And of course, as all things do, the term has continued to evolve over time. The most recent evolution is PRICK, which stands for: Personal Responsibility, Informed, Consensual Kink. This version of the acronym still deals with risk awareness, but also addresses that each participant is Personally Responsible for ensuring they are informed about the risks. This leads into the second half of the term – Informed Consent, which addresses the need for all parties to truly understand what they are going to engage in, including all potential risks, as only then can each individual truly consent.
In all likelihood, the terminology will continue to evolve as O/our BDSM, fetish, and kink communities do, but for the time being, I operate from the perspective of PRICK / RACK.