Harm reduction is a set of practical strategies aimed at reducing the negative consequences associated with risky behaviors, most commonly associated with substance use. While it may not have been directly applied to the BDSM and kink communities until now, these communities have been internally practicing harm reduction since the beginning.
Leather, fetish, and kink play involves a range of activities (including bondage, domination & submission, impact play, and more) that can be physically and emotionally intense. While many find these activities pleasurable and empowering, they can also pose risks that include physical injury or emotional trauma. Harm reduction strategies in kink-positive spaces encourages risk awareness and reduction while allowing individuals to explore and express themselves freely.
Recovery Support
12 Step programs are not the right path for everyone, so our goal includes plans to provide direct recovery support in a non-judgmental and self-directed way. The first step in that direction was to create these unique challenge coins to celebrate milestones for CoPE members in recovery.
CoPE follows the lead of Just Love More and the SAMHSA definition of recovery:
“A process of change through which individuals improve their health and wellness, live a self-directed life, and strive to reach their full potential.”