Disambiguation

'Discipline' is used both as one letter of the 'BDSM' acronym and, more specifically, for negotiated corrective practice within a dynamic. This article treats the term in context.

Discipline may be preventive — establishing routine, protocol and expectations — or corrective, responding to a specific lapse. It is understood as an element of the negotiated relationship rather than as punishment for its own sake, and its forms are agreed in advance.