A dungeon monitor is the person watching a public play space. They enforce the rules, answer questions, and step in when a scene is unsafe or non-consensual.
What the research is about
A 2025 interview study of U.S. dungeon monitors, written up on Sex and Psychology, looks at why people volunteer and how they decide when to interrupt a scene.
Source: The Role Of Dungeon Monitors in BDSM Safety, Sex and Psychology, January 12,
- Figures, samples, and methods are on that page.
How this shows up in public play
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Ask who the monitor is when you arrive, before you play.
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If a scene looks intense, find the monitor instead of stepping in yourself.
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A lot of the job is ordinary: phones away, equipment free, house rules followed.
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Stopping a consensual scene too early can be its own harm. The monitor is there to make that call.