My personal opinion is that this is a way to process and manage what we have experienced or otherwise been exposed to but in a format where we ultimately are in control. It's a form of safe engagement with these dynamics. For example, I think that often women prefer submission in a D/s relationship, not because women are naturally more submissive, but because they've had people trying to dominate them without their consent their entire lives and in these scenarios, they are actually the ones with the power.