BDSM

Domination and submission is a part of the acronym BDSM. It stands for bondage, domination and submission, sadism and masochism. Domination and submission is defined as “a set of behaviors, customs, and rituals involving the giving by one individual to another individual control over them”. It involves the power exchange between two consenting adults. This can be in the form of a one-time occurrence, a specific part time situation or a full time arrangement. The submissive does what the dominant requires of him or her within their agreed boundaries. The acronym includes Bondage, Sadism, and Masochism because domination and submission frequently includes elements of all of these kinks as part of the control the Dom has over the Sub.

Debby Herbenick, a sexual health educator at the Kinsey Institute and author of Sex Made Easy, has said “BDSM is a huge umbrella term for a wide range of activities, from fuzzy handcuffs you can buy at a women-oriented sex boutique to the more extreme sexual dungeon set-up.” BDSM has become more mainstream in the last 20 years as evidenced by (or maybe partially because of) the very popular 50 Shades of Grey novel and movie. That is why it makes the number one spot on the list.