Sexual Sadism Disorder

Abstract

Sexual sadism disorder is a condition associated with sexual arousal resulting from the suffering of another person. Formulating a precise definition of the disorder has proved challenging through the years on a number of fronts: not being overly inclusive so as to pathologize or stigmatize consensual sexual activity, yet constructing diagnostic criteria that are sensitive enough to allow for study and treatment in both forensic and non-forensic populations. Sexual Sadism has been difficult to identify, and has challenges associated in treating it through both pharmacologic and psychotherapeutic avenues. Studies have noted that the diagnosis has serious and long-term consequences for the patient so it is important to draw a distinction between pathology and variants of normal sexual behavior. How the disorder is defined also has a large role in how we identify the disorder; the definition should provide clinical utility in linking the disorder with people who are prone to sexual offending and recidivism. Much of the literature on the subject is in forensic populations alone. There is a paucity of research outside of the forensic population. Moreover, there is scant research on treatments, either pharmacologic or psychotherapeutic, specifically with regard to sexual sadism. However, given the damages the disorder can cause when a patient does offend, intervention is mandated. As we shall demonstrate, the available treatment modalities are limited and have been largely appropriated from the extant research on the treatment of paraphilias in general. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)