Abstract
The current chapter examines the history and empirical literature on sadism and sexual sadism and its association with psychopathy. Whether measured by self-report or rated from archival files, whether assessed as dimensional or as categorical, there are significant associations between psychopathy and sadism. Both conditions present an individual that enjoys violating others often with violence, and there is strong evidence that although not the same construct, psychopathy and sadism are inextricably linked.
This chapter examines the history and empirical literature on sadism and sexual sadism and its association with psychopathy. Psychopathy is a serious personality disorder, notorious for its hallmark features, such as lack of guilt and conscience, callous disregard of others, marked impulsivity, and chronic antisocial behavior. The association between psychopathy and sexual aggression is of particular interest and significance. Psychopathy is a complex disorder, characterized by a constellation of interpersonal, affective, and lifestyle/behavioral features, such as superficial charm, callousness and lack of empathy, impulsivity, and chronic antisocial behavior Sadism and psychopathy have both been theoretically, clinically, and empirically related to violence and to sexually coercive behaviors. Psychopathy is highly prevalent among sexual offenders and among sexual murderers. Mokros et al. explored the empirical relation between the severe sexual sadism scale and the Psychopathy Checklist–Revised in a sample of 100 male forensic patients from Germany. C. A. Robertson and R. A. Knight also investigated the relation between sexual sadism and psychopathy.
