Consent to bodily harm: BDSM, the criminal law and the myth of the 'feminist submissive'

This thesis occupies a shadowland in which criminal law, feminism(s), bondage, discipline and sadomasochism (BDSM) intersect. The research focuses on consent negotiation and risk mitigation practices between men who enjoy sexual and sensual domination (‘Dominants’), and women who enjoy sexual and sensual submission (‘femsubs’). This research study used a narrative approach to consider legal and philosophical questions around consent – how it is defined, understood and negotiated by adult men and women, and whether the quality or nature of that consent is as important as its existence.