Developmental and Psychological Profile of Men Who Have Committed Sadistic Sexual Aggression against Women.

This article focuses on distinguishing men who commit sadistic sexual aggression from those who commit nonsadistic sexual aggression against women and explores the developmental trajectories leading to sadistic sexual aggression. Using the Severe Sexual Sadism Scale (SESAS), an empirically validated behavioral measure, the study analyzed 206 incarcerated men in Quebec, Canada, identifying that sadistic offenders experienced more childhood emotional and physical abuse, exhibited avoidant personality traits, engaged in deviant sexual fantasies, and demonstrated a more structured and violent modus operandi (e.g., use of weapons, torture, victim restraint) compared to nonsadistic offenders. Structural equation modeling revealed two developmental pathways: one where childhood abuse leads to avoidant personality disorder, fostering deviant sexual fantasies that culminate in sadistic sexual aggression, and a direct path from childhood abuse to sadistic aggression. The findings contribute to theoretical understanding and clinical interventions but are limited by the sample's geographic and demographic homogeneity and the SESAS's focus on behavioral criteria, suggesting the need for further research incorporating cognitive and emotional dimensions across diverse populations.