Sexual roleplay is roleplay that has a strong

erotic Eroticism () is a quality that causes sexual feelings, as well as a philosophical contemplation concerning the aesthetics of sexual desire, sensuality, and romantic love. That quality may be found in any form of artwork, including painting, sculp ...

element. It may involve two or more people who act out

role A role (also rôle or social role) is a set of connected behaviors, rights, obligations, beliefs, and norms as conceptualized by people in a social situation. It is an expected or free or continuously changing behavior and may have a given indi ...

s in order to bring to life a

sexual fantasy A sexual fantasy, or erotic fantasy, is an Autoeroticism, autoerotic mental image or pattern of thought that stirs a person's Human sexuality, sexuality and can create or enhance sexual arousal. A sexual Fantasy (psychology), fantasy can be crea ...

and may be a form of

foreplay Foreplay is a set of emotionally and physically intimate acts between one or more people meant to create sexual arousal and desire for sexual activity. Although foreplay is typically understood as physical sexual activity, nonphysical activiti ...

and be sexually arousing. Many people regard sexual roleplay as a means of overcoming

sexual inhibition A sexual inhibition is a conscious or subconscious constraint or curtailment by a person of behavior relating to specific sexual matters or practices, a discussion of sexual matters or viewing certain sexual material. To some extent such inhibi ...

s. It may take place in the real world, or via an internet forum, chat-room, video-game, or email—allowing for physically or virtually impossible erotic interests to be enacted. How seriously the play is taken depends on the participants, and the scenario may be anywhere from simple and makeshift to detailed and elaborate, including costumes and a script. The role-play may involve a fantasy based on any

social role A role (also rôle or social role) is a set of connected behaviors, rights, moral obligation, obligations, beliefs, and social norm, norms as conceptualized by people in a social situation. It is an expected or free or continuously changing behav ...

and could incorporate any kind of

sexual fetish Sexual fetishism is a sexual fixation on an object or a body part. The object of interest is called the fetish; the person who has a fetish is a fetishist. A sexual fetish may be regarded as a mental disorder if it causes significant psychoso ...

desired by the participants. Examples include items of clothing experienced as erotic or one or more participants being nude. The role-play may involve elements of

dominance and submission Dominance and submission (D/s) is a set of behaviors, customs, and rituals involving the submission of one person to another in an erotic episode or lifestyle. It is a subset of BDSM. This form of sexual contact and pleasure has been shown to ...

including sexual bondage and

erotic humiliation Erotic humiliation or sexual humiliation is the act of performing consensual psychological humiliation, in order to produce erotic excitement or sexual arousal. This can be for the person(s) being humiliated and demeaned, the person(s) humil ...

. Depending on the play scenario, the roleplay may be before spectators, and bystanders may be unknowing participants in a roleplay. For example, the roleplay may involve house guests or may be taken out of a couple's home and into, say, a bar, street, park etc. A role may require, for example, one or both partners to flirt with a stranger, or for one partner to seduce the other partner's friend, etc. It may also call for one or both partners to, say, strip in a car or park. The popularity of the

Internet The Internet (or internet) is the Global network, global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a internetworking, network of networks ...

has also allowed for online sexual encounters, known as

cybersex Cybersex, also called Internet sex, computer sex, netsex, e-sex, cybering, is a virtual sex encounter in which two or more people have long distance sex via electronic video communication (webcams, VR headsets, etc.) and other electronics (such as ...

, which may involve roleplay. In a 2015 US survey, up to 22% of respondents stated that they had performed sexual role play in their lifetime.

BDSM

Many of the most common sexual roleplays involve a power differential and form part of the

aspect of

BDSM BDSM is a variety of often Eroticism, erotic practices or Sexual roleplay, roleplaying involving Bondage (BDSM), bondage, Discipline (BDSM), discipline, dominance and submission, sadomasochism, and other related interpersonal dynamics. Given ...

. Roles can be general designations of power positions, or very specific, detailed fantasies. Some people, such as those living the

Gorean Gor () is the fictional setting for a series of sword and planet novels written by philosophy professor John Lange, writing as John Norman. The setting was first described in the 1966 novel ''Tarnsman of Gor''. The series is inspired by science ...

lifestyle make use of an entire imaginary world. The controlling player is often called the

top Top most commonly refers to: * Top, a basic term of orientation, distinguished from bottom, front, back, and sides * Spinning top, a ubiquitous traditional toy * Top (clothing), clothing designed to be worn over the torso * Mountain top, a moun ...

or ''dominant'' while the controlled individual is called the bottom or ''submissive''. It can be considered dangerous and therefore a

safeword In BDSM, a safeword is a code word, series of code words or other signal used by a person to communicate their physical or emotional state, typically when approaching, or crossing, a physical, emotional, or moral boundary. Some safewords are use ...

is advised to continue the safety of other(s) in such acts.

Examples of scenarios

Common scenarios include: *Burglary *Doctor/Nurse/Patient:

medical fetishism Medical fetishism refers to several sexual fetishes in which participants derive sexual pleasure from medical scenarios including objects, practices, environments, and situations of a medical or clinical nature. In sexual roleplay, a hospital or ...

where the participants play the roles of doctor, nurse, or patient, e.g., enema play. *Escort – Client: one partner assumes the role of paid escort for an encounter. *Executive – Secretary: one partner assumes the role of a business executive while the other takes the role of their secretary. *

Handyman A handyman, also known as a fixer, handyperson or handyworker, maintenance worker, maintenance man, repairman, repair worker, or repair technician, is a person who is knowledgeable in skills such as basic carpentry, plumbing, minor electrical w ...

– Housewife: the

tradesman A tradesperson or tradesman/tradeswoman is a skilled worker that specialises in a particular trade. Tradespeople (tradesmen/women) usually gain their skills through work experience, on-the-job training, an apprenticeship program or formal educ ...

enters the housewife's home initially with the intent of carrying out plumbing/maintenance work. * Master – Slave: the slave is required to comply with all demands of the master. *Photographer – Model: this allows one partner to photograph the other as a precursor to sexual interaction. *Stripper – Client: one participant performs a striptease for the other. *Teacher – Student: the student dresses for the part and must do as they are told, or are punished. *Circus master - Lion: the lion is given a demand and must do it for the sake of entertainment. *Sex doll - Doll owner: the sex doll must stay still and be obedient. *Pilot – flight attendant: One partner takes on the role of the pilot while the other plays a seductive flight attendant. *Mechanic – client: While one partner plays the mechanic the other takes on the role of the client. The client tries to pay the mechanic via seduction. *Soldier – girlfriend: A returning soldier is surprised by his girlfriend in a stunning lingerie set. Other scenarios include: *

Ageplay Ageplay or age play is a form of roleplaying in which an individual acts or treats another as if they are a different age. Ageplay is roleplaying between adults, and involves consent from all parties. Ageplay is not always sexual. Portraying an ...

: where an individual acts and/or treats another as if they were a different age. The practice can be regressive, in which the goal is to re-experience childhood, or sexual, recreating a sexual relationship with people of the pretended ages. Generally this can involve someone pretending to be younger than they actually are, but more rarely can involve assuming an older role. *

Animal roleplay Animal roleplay is a form of roleplay where at least one participant plays the part of a non-human animal. As with most forms of roleplay, its uses include play and psychodrama. Animal roleplay may also be found in BDSM contexts, where an in ...

: where a player is treated as a non-human animal such as a dog, pony, or cat. *Authority figure/Misbehaving Adult: where a player takes on the role of an authority figure and blackmails or humiliates his or her partner into sexual activity. *

Clown A clown is a person who performs physical comedy and arts in an Improvisational theatre#Comedy, open-ended fashion, typically while wearing distinct cosmetics, makeup or costume, costuming and reversing social norm, folkway-norms. The art of ...

kink KINK (101.9 FM also known as kink.fm) is a commercial radio station in Portland, Oregon. It is owned by Alpha Media and it airs an adult album alternative radio format. KINK's studios and offices are on Southwest 5th Avenue in the PacWest C ...

in the manner of coulrophilia between a young person and a performing

mime A mime artist, or simply mime (from Greek language, Greek , , "imitator, actor"), is a person who uses ''mime'' (also called ''pantomime'' outside of Britain), the acting out of a story through body motions without the use of speech, as a the ...

jester A jester, also known as joker, court jester, or fool, was a member of the household of a nobleman or a monarch kept to entertain guests at the royal court. Jesters were also travelling performers who entertained common folk at fairs and town ma ...

, or

circus clown Circus clowns are a sub-genre of Clown, clowns. They typically perform at circus, circuses and are meant to amuse, entertain and make guests laugh. Traditional types There are traditionally three basic types of clowns that appear in the circus: ...

* Gender-play: where one or more players take on roles of another gender. *

Incest Incest ( ) is sexual intercourse, sex between kinship, close relatives, for example a brother, sister, or parent. This typically includes sexual activity between people in consanguinity (blood relations), and sometimes those related by lineag ...

fantasy: also known as incest play, where two or more play the role of family members. *Owner/Inanimate object: such as the bottom being

human furniture Human furniture is furniture in which a person's body is used as a tray, foot stool, chair, table, cabinet or other item. In some cases a sculpture of a human body is used instead. Examples of human furniture have appeared in modern art. Forniph ...

. *Prison fetish: situational play set in a prison environment. Given real life prisons are same-sex communities, this fetish does lend itself to male on male or female on female activities and settings. Opposite gender play is also possible between inmates and guards or when the setting includes a co-ed facility/institution. Prison play is also an expansion of the uniform fetish by use of inmate, guard, and staff uniforms. *Torturer/Captive prisoner: where one player is a captor who abuses the other, can also include ravishment and kidnap scenarios. *

Uniform fetishism Uniform fetishism is a particular type of clothing fetishism in which an individual is sexually aroused by uniforms. It is a form of sexual fetishism. Uniform fetishism has been associated with a variety of different uniforms, including schoolg ...

: one participant dresses in uniform (for instance as a school student,

cheerleader Cheerleading is an activity in which the participants (called cheerleaders) cheer for their team as a form of encouragement. It can range from chanting slogans to intense physical activity. It can be performed to motivate sports teams, to ent ...

French maid ''French maid'' was a term applied in the Victorian period, Victorian and early 20th-century periods to a lady's maid of French nationality. A lady's maid was a senior servant who reported directly to the lady of the house, and accompanied h ...

, etc.), while the other participant plays an authority figure (e.g., a parent, teacher, coach, police officer). Can also include scenarios with both participants in uniforms. *Supernatural Seductions: One participant takes the role of a predatory vampire, incubus, succubus or witch and seduces, enthralls or claims the other participant as their victim. * Rape play involves acting out roles of coercive sex with communication, consent and safety being especially crucial elements.

Sexologist Sexology is the scientific study of human sexuality, including human sexual interests, behaviors, and functions. The term ''sexology'' does not generally refer to the non-scientific study of sexuality, such as social criticism. Sexologists app ...

Gloria Brame Gloria Brame (born August 20, 1955) is an American sexologist, writer and sex therapist based in Athens, Georgia. She is a member of the American College of Sexologists, and clinical sexologist. Her sex therapy practice specializes in consensual ...

lists a number of these scenarios, Brame, Gloria (2001). ''Come Hither! A Commonsense Guide to Kinky Sex'', Fusion Press, London, , pp. 140-148. as does Trevor Jacques. Jacques, Trevor; Dr. Dale; Hamilton, Michael; and Sniffer (1993). ''On The Safe Edge: A Manual for BDSM Play'', WholeSM Publishing, Toronto, , , , , pp. 38–42.

BDSM

Examples of scenarios

References

Further reading