Glossary
Corporal Punishment
In BDSM, corporal punishment refers to consensual physical discipline such as spanking, paddling, or flogging, negotiated with agreed limits.
In a BDSM context, corporal punishment refers to consensual physical discipline used within power exchange or discipline dynamics. It can include spanking, paddling, flogging, or caning, and often features in Dominant and submissive relationships. The practice borrows the imagery of real-world punishment but is always negotiated in advance, with agreed limits, safewords, and aftercare. For participants it can carry emotional and psychological meaning alongside the physical sensation. The defining feature that separates it from abuse is informed, ongoing consent. Outside of kink, the same phrase refers to physical punishment of children or prisoners, a very different and non-consensual meaning.