BDSM Guide

0-9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Sexual slavery

An extreme version of the Dominance & submission relationship, in which the submissive partner (the slave) voluntarily hands over full control over the most important aspects of his life to another person - his Master, who receives the right but also the responsibility to decide the relevant issues concerning the slave instead of him.

In BDSM practice, such relationships are known as Master / slave (abbreviated M/s) and Owner / property (in this case, the relationship is known as Ownership).

It is important to note that despite the categoricalness of the names used, the slave in such relations is not a legal slave and his Master (or Owner) has no right of legal coercion against him. Such a relationship stands on Slave's belief in the correctness of his Master's or Owner's actions.

Therefore, the Master / slave relationship is very similar to Dominance & submission as a lifestyle (or D/s 24/7). Similarly, they may or may not include sexual intercourse or sexual activity may be aimed at satisfying the dominant partner (Master). They may include detailed rules (see Slave contract below), violation of which may result in sanctions in the form of corporal punishments, discipline, humiliations, deprivation, etc. They can also include bondage, sensory deprivation and many more (see Dominance & submission for details).

The difference between M/s and D/s 24/7 relationships is primarily in the self-identification of the participants. In one case Master, respectively slave or Owner respectively property, and in the other - Dominant and submissive.

Another significant difference is in the readiness of the participants in the Master / slave relationship to accentuate its character through symbolically charged actions, in many cases in public. Such actions may include (the listed elements are not exhaustive nor mandatory):

- The conclusion of a Slave contract between them, which details all aspects of their M/s relationship and which, although devoid of legal force, can have a strong psycho-emotional impact on partners, especially if they make it public (within their circle of BDSM community or online - within the local virtual community);
- Registration of the slave in the online slave register;
- Wearing a BDSM collar by the slave, incl. In public;
- Acceptance by the slave of a new name, invented and given to him by his Master (not applicable to institutions, but practically possible in personal relationships), which could be a simple name, the name of a literary, film or other character, or just a number or a title that may be considered degrading and/or sexist;
- Modification of the appearance of the slave – from hairstyle and hair color (or shaved head) to a permanent change in style of dressing according to the tastes and preferences of the Master;
- The physical marking of the slave, e.g. with a tattoo, piercing or other relatively permanent way to suggest his "slave" status;
- Physical objectification of the slave whenever possible, e.g. by wearing a formal bondage hood;
- Extremely formalized style of speaking by the slave, incl. talking about yourself in the third person ("May Your slave speak?") and other similar.

Although all of the above describes an ultimate form of intimacy, there are too few couples who are willing or able to take it to the extreme. Most people who self-identify with the Master / slave relationship see it as a role-playing game and do not go beyond its ritual, while others seek to turn it into a full-blooded lifestyle and would react extremely angrily if you lower their efforts to mere theater.