I was talking the other day with one of my friends who is an independent domme. She was asserting that the primary societal function of our calling was to re-integrate those teetering on the edge of true pathology, help them to accept their particular kink and realize that they can still be a morally upstanding member of society. This was an intriguing assertion. I agree that this is one role a prodomme may play, though I think it applies to a small minority of those who serve them. The vast majority of those who see a professional dominatrix are just looking to fulfill their fantasies in new and fun ways. But in terms of seriousness of intent, this may be the most important contribution of our work. It seems to be a common pattern -- that when some behaviour is castigated as morally reprehensible, those who participate in said behaviour act morally reprehensibly. The act of cutting them loose from societal standards of right and wrong frees them from having to act with ethics. In the case of sex and drug use between consenting adults, I would argue it's the state of being outcast rather than the action itself which causes people to act in unscrupulous ways. On a side note, let's not forget how closely linked sex and morality (or lack thereof) are perceived to be in our society. I was just reminded of it when I looked up synonyms for "immoral" on dictionary.com and two of the words that came up were "pornographic" and "x-rated".