Safety Philosophy RACK – In BDSM, there are a variety of concepts that go beyond mere letters. These concepts are designed to ensure that everyone involved has fun and no one is harmed. Over the years, the BDSM community has developed various Safety philosophies. There is no set number, as different groups and individuals may develop and apply their own principles and values. Nevertheless, there are some widely accepted guiding philosophies that are often discussed in the BDSM context. The best known are:
- Safe, Sane, Consensual (SSC)
- Risk Aware Consensual Kink (RACK)
- Personal Responsibility, Informed Consensual Kink (PRICK)
- Domination Enhanced Beyond Rule Induced Superiority (DEBRIS)
- Freely Given, Reversible, Informed, Enthusiastic, Specific (FRIES)
- Total Power Exchange (TPE)
- Complete and Irrevocable Submission (CIS)
- Consent as a Process (CaP)
The two most famous BDSM guidelines: RACK and SSC
A guiding philosophy that governs BDSM relationships and activities is “Risk Aware Consensual Kink” (RACK). RACK was developed as an alternative to the SSC principle (Safe, Sane, Consensual) because many BDSM practitioners could not fully identify with it. Since RACK was introduced later, it is not as widespread as SSC. Both RACK and SSC serve as guidelines and a basis for carrying out sado-masochistic activities, and for distinguishing them from legally punishable acts of violence.
Meaning of Safety Philosophy RACK
Risk:
Refers to the inherent risk that any BDSM practice entails.
Aware:
Refers to the need for all involved to be fully aware of the possible dangers that any proposed act could entail.
Consensual:
It means “agreed” and implies that all participants have given their consent in full awareness before carrying out an activity.
Kink:
Basically states that the practices discussed are classified as a kind of alternative sexuality. However, “Kink” can also be understood in a broader sense, encompassing additional elements that deviate from the majority of the population’s usual thoughts, feelings, behaviour and habits about sex.
RACK me, baby!
The RACK model cannot be considered in isolation from the SSC philosophy, as it challenges the principles of the latter. While SSC emphasises the ambiguous aspect of safety, RACK focuses on self-responsibility and individual risk assessment of the participants.
Because why should the latter be considered in isolation from SSC?
For, why should people practising BDSM avoid certain acts that are not considered completely safe, when all participants are aware of the risks and still want them?
“I am aware of the risk and consciously accept it.”
The principle of consent is indispensable in both guiding philosophies, but is emphasised even more in the RACK concept by linking it to individual risk assessment.
What you should keep in mind about RACK
At first glance, one might think that RACK-based activities are riskier and less rational than those based on SSC, and that all practices are permissible as long as all participants are aware of the foreseeable and unforeseeable risks. But this view is too simplistic.
The Safety Philosophy RACK holds that it is simply impossible to completely eliminate all risk, as every activity involves certain physical and psychological risks. These depend on various factors, such as the people involved, their attitude and experience, the practices carried out, the context of the activity itself, possible external influences and numerous other aspects.
By pointing out and raising awareness of these risks, a more realistic idea of BDSM emerges, instead of a deceptive sense of safety.
Nevertheless, the Safety Philosophy RACK is also based on a subjective evaluation. How conscious is “conscious enough”? Therefore, it is always important to inform oneself as much as possible about all foreseeable and unforeseeable risks and to reduce them as much as possible before agreeing to an activity.
In essence, any BDSM activity can fall under RACK as long as the parties involved are aware of the potential risks and voluntarily consent. However, the so-called edgeplay practices, such as playing with needles, cutting, suspension practices (suspensions), breath control games/breathplay or even role-playing games simulating rape scenarios (rapeplay), as well as special practices such as figging, also called tunnel play.
Safety Questions
If you are looking at RACK as your guiding philosophy, there are several safety questions you can ask yourself:
- Am I aware of the potential risks of the BDSM activity in which I wish to participate?
- Have I done enough research to understand the risks and possible consequences of the planned activity?
- Am I able to clearly give and communicate my consent when I feel uncomfortable or uncertain?
- Do I and my partner have an agreed safe word or safe signal that stops activity immediately if it is used?
- Have my partner and I made clear agreements about the limits and expectations of the planned activity?
- Do we have the necessary knowledge and the right equipment to carry out the activity safely?
- Are we able to react adequately in case of an emergency?
Please remember that safety is of the utmost importance in BDSM practice. And you should never engage in any activity that makes you feel unsafe or uncomfortable
Difference between RACK and SSC
As already mentioned, the rather conservative SSC principle is older and more widespread than RACK, which at first glance offers more freedom. The common core of both guiding philosophies is consent, which forms the basis of any BDSM practice. As long as this is given, it is up to each individual which concept he or she prefers. Or why not choose a combination of the two?
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