what is this?
I think a lot about risk-awareness: what that is, how we talk about it, and what we do to make sure we have it. The answer to that third question seems to me to far too often be “not much.” “I know something could go wrong and I’m going ahead anyway” is one valid form of risk-awareness, but there are a lot of problems there. Do you know exactly what could go wrong? Does the person(s) engaging in it with you? Are you sure they’re aware of all the same potential risks that you are? Do you know what to do if that thing happens? Do they? Do you assume that things not labeled RACK don’t hold the same level of risk?
RED was created out of a desire to curate possible risks for various activities we might engage in. All possible risks, from the common (bruising) to the ones you’re unlikely to think of (threads from waterboarding face coverings loosening and falling down the throat), even the very rare ones. When possible, I like to include what can be done to mitigate or respond to something, but mostly, I just want a way to help people be better informed for the sake of consideration and planning.
what this isn’t
These are not lists of why you shouldn’t do something. I’m not hoping to scare people off from any kind of play; I want to help them be more informed in their decisions. Therefore, I ask that you please approach any sharing of this resources from the standpoint that people may read these risks and choose to go ahead anyway. No “x WILL cause y and people who do it are therefore irresponsible, ” please.
This is also not a fully-cited project. I’ve included research where I could and I do my best to confirm instances of everything I add to it, but just in case, something being listed should not be taken as my endorsement that it is absolutely correct.
The Database:
Blood, Cutting, Sharps, and Scars
Caning (See: Impact Play)
CBT (See: Breast and Genital-specific)
Choking (See: Breath Play)
Conditioning (See: Emotional Play; Protocol and Conditioning)
Cutting (See: Blood, Cutting, Sharps, and Scars)
Drowning (See: Breath Play)
Emotional Play; Protocol and Conditioning
Kicking (See: General Rough Handling)
Miscellaneous, or, waiting for enough on it to belong in another topic
Penis-specific (See: Breast and Genital-specific)
Power Exchange (See: Emotional Play; Protocol and Conditioning)
Protocol (See: Emotional Play; Protocol and Conditioning)
Punching (See: General Rough Handling)
Rope (See: Bondage and Inversions)
Sharps and Scars (See: Blood, Cutting, Sharps, and Scars)
Slapping (See: General Rough Handling)
Vagina-specific (See: Breast and Genital-specific)
Waterboarding (See: Breath Play)
Whips (See: Impact Play)
Finally, this project would not be possible with several others who work on it in its own forms in their own spaces across the internet, including those with expertise in extreme sports, extreme horror, immersive theater, circus and sideshow work, and the like. my eternal gratitude goes to those people, who know who they are but stay anonymous so we can all keep our worlds compartmentalized.
RED FAQ
Wait, don’t people have the right to do whatever they want to if it’s consensual?
100%. Yes. This is my philosophy entirely. This database is in no way an attempt to dissuade anyone from doing anything. I am an edge-player. I do most of these things. I also firmly believe that consent must be informed. This is one way to help you and your partners be more informed.
But some of these risks are really rare. Isn’t that fear-mongering?
Some are indeed VERY rare. Nonetheless, this project calls for risks, not necessarily common risks. It is impossible to be risk-aware without being aware of all that is possible, to the extent that we can be. It does not matter how rare a risk is if you yourself are the one in a million, and we are all far too prone of believing we have “plot armor” and the devastating emergency will never happen to us… Until it does.
It does not necessarily matter to me if these risks are likely. After all, though it is rare for skydivers to have failed parachute launches, no skydiving school will take you up unless you sign a waiver indicating that you know it might. Nor have I attempted to give the exact factors that can cause a risk to increase, especially for these rarer ones. This resource is designed to be a better place to start your research than going in not knowing of any less-than-obvious possibilities, but by no means the entirety of said research.
At the same time, I cannot possibly list everything that could happen. The “boilerplate list” should always also be included as to things that should be expected, but in no way should what is on any of these lists be considered complete.
How do I add something to this?
Please comment directly on the Fetlife post for the correct list (linked with each list) or fill out this form. There is a method behind this. Please do not message me with these—I cannot guarantee any risks messaged to me will be added. When you know and can provide ways to deal with said risks if they do in fact happen, please include that — but it’s certainly not a must.
Most submissions will be added, but it would be helpful for you to let me know in the form how you’re aware of what you’re sharing. Being a medical or athletic professional or related or somehow having the personal experience will mean less research for me. There are some things that I won’t add if I know that’s a common misconception, but something being listed should not be taken as my endorsement that it is absolutely correct.
Why isn’t there more info on _____?
Nobody has sent it to me yet! …with some exceptions.
There are some topics I have chosen not to include here although they were once discussed, including relationships, specific power exchange configurations, and sex as a whole. In order to make this project more feasible, I’ve refrained from including these for now as I believe the risks are already much more well-documented than “play” acts. At some point, I may revisit this.
What are your other plans?
Eventually, I’d like to create a reverse version of this where you can look at potential risks to see all the kink activities that might cause them, but this will likely be a long time from now.
I have other comments or questions.
If you’re seeing this answer, this is still under construction and I haven’t set up the contact me that’s specific to this site yet (: please message me on Fetlife @vahavta.