Why Do People Enjoy Power Dynamics During Sex?
Power dynamics during sex are more commonly practised than you might first think. Even the most ‘vanilla’ sexual participant is likely to partake in some form of power play, potentially without even realising it.
The link between sexual gratification and power play has been explored extensively, primarily within the realms of BDSM. Explore power play with us, and find out why it is so commonly practised.
What are power dynamics?
To put it simply, power dynamics describe the balance of power within sex. There are different elements to this as some may choose to hand over power and control of certain things but not others. For example, some power dynamics may include a dominant and submissive, with the dominant in control of every sexual activity the submissive may experience.
On the other hand, some power dynamics can be more complex. Rather than the traditional submissive and dominant roles where one person has complete control over the other, power play can specify which elements of sex each participant is, or is not, in control of.
The link between BDSM and power play
Power dynamics sometimes relate to BDSM, but not always. BDSM often includes sexual play with pain, but power dynamics aren’t always about pain, so it’s important to specify which elements of BDSM you want in your power dynamics with your partner before diving in.
How many people enjoy power play?
Because of the complicated link between power play and BDSM, it’s difficult to pin down an exact statistic for how many people partake in either activity.
This means that it is very likely that millions of people partake in power play on the regular, but we can’t give an exact figure to confirm this. What some may consider power play, others may consider BDSM, making the definition of both kinks also difficult to define.
Why do people use power play?
Sometimes defining roles during sex can make it easier to know what response the other person wants from you. For roleplay, there is already some understanding as to how sex is going to go down.
For example, the cop and robber power dynamic is a popular fantasy due to the clear sexual expectations of each character. The cop is expected to cuff the robber, and the robber is expected to do as the cop asks.
These roles offer some comfort and context to power dynamics, making setting boundaries that much easier and quicker to get to the action.
A 2016 study on the practice of BDSM showed the most common reasons people enjoyed partaking in dominant/submissive behaviours:
- 89.7% stated BDSM was associated with a sense of personal freedom.
- 98.5% stated they gained pleasure or enjoyment.
- 90.7% stated they felt a sense of adventure.
- 90.6% stated they did it for self-expression or exploration.
- 90.8% used BDSM for relaxation or to decrease stress.
The varied and overlapping responses from participants of this study show that there are a wide variety of reasons people partake in power play. As mentioned above, since power play can be lots of things, there’s lots of satisfaction and different positive experiences to be gained from it.
Trying power play for the first time
Like the sound of power play? If you’re thinking of changing up the power dynamics in the bedroom, be sure to check out our blog: BDSM Role Play – Spice up your sex life for some ideas on where to start.
Always remember that communication is the key to sex, so always talk to your partner about what you want and keep the discussion open to keep sex safe and fun.