Kink and Consent:

In recent years, consent has taken on a prominent role within advocacy, activism and academic discussions about sexuality. Consent, however, has already been at the forefront of discussions within the kink community for decades. This session engages with what consent means within the kink community and how it operates within kinky activities, and uses consent within kink to reflect on sexual consent more broadly.

Participants in this session can expect an introduction to the basics of kink (definitions, appropriate language, myths and research findings). Participants can also expect an in-depth exploration of kink community conventions and mechanisms around consent (such as negotiations, limits, safewords, checking-in and aftercare). Whilst the kink community has developed a robust and nuanced model of consent, wrongdoing still occurs within kink. Participants can also expect to learn about what constitutes a consent violation within kinky activities.

This session aims to improve the sexological practice of professionals who work with kinksters or who deal with notions of sexual consent more generally. It provides detailed and accurate information about a marginalised minority group and encourages reflection on what consent means and how it works within all sexual activities.

About Dr Theodore Bennett:

Dr Theodore Bennett (he/him) is a Senior Lecturer in Sexology at Curtin University. He is an interdisciplinary academic who works within the areas of law, culture and sexology. He has published nationally and internationally on a range of topics, including sexual consent, consensual non-monogamies, public nudity, sex positivity, gender identity, pornography, etc. His research has a particular focus on BDSM (otherwise known as kink or sadomasochism). His research generally addresses how sociolegal institutions— such as laws, policies and discursive frameworks— understand and regulate differences in sexuality and sex/gender. He has completed a Bachelor of Arts, a Bachelor of Laws (with First Class Honours), a Master of Sexology (with Distinction), and a Doctor of Philosophy.