I’ve spoken to you about Safe, Sane and Consensual and about how it is the first safety mantra that people adopt as they learn about BDSM and kink relationships. Most BDSM munch groups around the world use SSC to define the play that is acceptable and how they prefer to present themselves to the vanilla public that they may encounter.
However, there are a few other mantras that are used just as much. Risk Aware (or Risk Acceptable) Consensual Kink is one of them. Understanding the differences of RACK and SSC can help you decide if your preference for activities is more for one mantra or another.
Let’s define RACK:
Risk-aware
means both (or all) parties are aware of the risks associated with the play activities that they are engaging in.
Consensual
means that in light of those risks that the parties consent to the activities in mind.
Kink
is the alternative sexual play that often falls under the umbrella of BDSM.
So, you might be wondering what the difference is between SSC and RACK and for most people it is a subtle difference, but an important one. SSC tends to err on the side of caution and will not venture into the more risky play styles. Things like needles, cutting, play rape, interrogation, and breath play would be considered too dangerous to engage in under SSC tenets, however, under RACK, it applies as being risk aware. While “Safe, Sane and Consensual” (SSC) attempts to describe and differentiate BDSM from abuse in ways that are easy for the non-BDSM public and novices to comprehend, RACK differs from it in that it acknowledges that nothing is ever 100% inherently safe.
Not all people prescribe to one or the other but a combination of the two. They may use one in front of more public venues and the riskier one in private. It is a personal choice that brings to try to conform and yet be themselves in the process.
No matter what safety mantra you use, I feel it’s important to have one. Without it you could lead to riskier forms of play without full awareness or consent. And that is just plain dangerous.
What do you align to more? SSC or RACK? Why is that?