Safe, sane and consensual (SSC) is one of several phrases used by a large section of the BDSM and sexual bondage communities to describe themselves and their philosophies who regard SSC to be a watchword for safety. A collar is a common symbol of BDSM. Some use the triskelion as a BDSM emblem. ... A model in bondage cuffs with a leg spreader Bondage is a human sexual practice involving being tied up or otherwise restrained for pleasure. ...

The principles are that BDSM activities should be:

• safe: attempts should be made to identify and prevent risks to health
• sane: activities should be undertaken in a sane and sensible cast of mind
• consensual: all activities should involve the full informed consent of all parties involved

Other people in the BDSM community do not consider SSC to be an accurate term for these relationships/activities. The term Risk Aware Consensual Kink has been gaining popularity as a substitute description. Informed consent is a legal condition whereby a person can be said to have given consent based upon a full appreciation and understanding of the facts and implications of any actions (as far as humanly possible), with the individual being in possession of all of his faculties (not mentally retarded... Look up Rack on Wiktionary, the free dictionary Rack may mean: Rack (torture), a torture device. ...

For those who dissent, issues generally arise from the subjective nature of each term in SSC and the problems this creates both within and outside the community when using the term as a yardstick to evaluate activities.

Most attribute the term to David Stein who coined it in 1984 for GMSMA. More information can be found in the essay titled Safe Sane Consensual: The Evolution of a Shibboleth.

External links

• http://www.lthredge.com/ - Website of david stein (Note: He's taken the site down, apparently for good. See FAQ on site.)
• http://www.lthredge.com/ds/history.htm - Essays by David Stein