A few thoughts on consent
This was triggered by a post by cherishedelf, after being vaguely on my mind for a while...
I can't speak to psychological means of abrogating consent. I know it's possible, but thanking all relevant gods, it's not a part of my life anymore.
But in more practical terms, I don't think anyone can abrogate their right to leave a relationship. I think it boils down to the fact that in our cultures, legally, we have a right to leave. Legally, we have a right to disobey, not get hit, etc. etc. And therefore, if my consent ends, and anything more happens, the dom is breaking the law. Whether or not one given incident is enough to provoke legal repercussions is, of course, variable...
But my point is that safewords are, in this view, at least as much for the dom's protection as for the sub's. Similarly, any physical attempt to retain a sub in a relationship she wanted to leave would be domestic violence at best and kidnapping at worst.
I can't speak to psychological means of abrogating consent. I know it's possible, but thanking all relevant gods, it's not a part of my life anymore.
But in more practical terms, I don't think anyone can abrogate their right to leave a relationship. I think it boils down to the fact that in our cultures, legally, we have a right to leave. Legally, we have a right to disobey, not get hit, etc. etc. And therefore, if my consent ends, and anything more happens, the dom is breaking the law. Whether or not one given incident is enough to provoke legal repercussions is, of course, variable...
But my point is that safewords are, in this view, at least as much for the dom's protection as for the sub's. Similarly, any physical attempt to retain a sub in a relationship she wanted to leave would be domestic violence at best and kidnapping at worst.