Most people live with the thought of not offending or hurting their neighbor. But there is a category of people that is categorically different from the humanism we are accustomed to - these are sadists.
Who are people with sadistic tendencies? In the medical dictionary, the concept of “sadism” is defined as satisfaction and pleasure from inflicting pain, physical or mental suffering on another living being.
In turn, a sadist (sadist) is a person who receives psychological and sexual pleasure from inflicting pain and humiliation on others.
This concept was first introduced in 1886 by Richard von Krafft-Ebing, a German psychologist. The scientist referred to the Marquis de Sade , a French writer, philosopher and politician. It was he who often used pain and humiliation towards other people for sexual gratification, and described this in his books. The most famous works of the Marquis de Sade are “Justine”, “The Misadventures of Virtue” and others.
Who is a sadist?
The very definition of the word “sadism” appeared because of the French writer Marquis de Sade (1740-1814). He became famous for his cruel behavior, evil character, and his works often had sexual overtones.
The Marquis De Sade gave the name to sadism
A sadist is a person who takes pleasure in the suffering of other people . Moreover, a sadist can either cause pain to other people or simply be an outside observer. Sadism is a pathological quality, as it gives pleasure through the suffering of other people.
What do sadists feel during bullying?
Aggressors show cruelty for a specific purpose. For a sadist, emotions serve as a kind of nourishment, without which he can no longer exist. It could be:
- A sense of self-worth and self-exaltation, a perverted thirst for power over those who are weaker. This compensates for the feeling of inferiority.
- Satisfaction from the desire to take revenge for the pain caused in childhood to the objects of violence or their projections. This is how a person expresses his pain.
- Sexual arousal and satisfaction from seeing other people suffer. In the future, such perversions lead to the inability to experience orgasm without tormenting the partner.
Types of sadism
Like all mental disorders, sadism has several types: physical, psychological and sexual.
Physical sadism consists of violence, infliction of physical pain, beating, suffocation. The sadist takes pleasure in inflicting physical pain on the victim.
Sometimes physical abuse can lead to serious injury and in some cases even death.
Psychological sadism involves inflicting moral suffering on the victim. Insults, humiliation, belittling of a person’s moral qualities - all this can be attributed to psychological sadism.
Ramsay Bolton is a sadist from the series “Game of Thrones”.
Typically, this type of bullying is inherent in people in leadership positions (directors, teachers, professors, civil servants).
Have you met sadists in real life?
This type of sadists is divided into two types:
- “Honest” - they always tell the negative truth to a person , watching his reaction and torment;
- “Well-wishers” - these people receive negative information about a person and, under the guise of help or in a normal conversation, use this information against the person, enjoying the emotions of the victim .
Do you know who a masochist is? The answer is in our article!
Sexual sadism is manifested in obtaining sexual pleasure by inflicting pain. Just like psychological, sexual sadism is divided into two types:
- Aggressive is the most dangerous type, which can lead to death of the victim. It includes physical and psychological abuse;
- Visual - a sadist only imagines causing violence without realizing it.
Attention: no matter what type of sadism a person suffers from, it should be remembered that it is directly or indirectly dangerous to society.
Kevin from the movie "There's Something Wrong with Kevin"
Is it possible to get rid of sexual sadism?
It is quite difficult to answer positively to this question. Therapy for sexual sadism is complex and is carried out in the following areas: • Identifying and overcoming the internal psychological conflict that causes the connection between aggression and sexual arousal. This is the scope of such methods of psychotherapy as psychoanalysis and cognitive behavioral therapy. Unfortunately, they are effective only in the early stages of the development of sadism and with the voluntary appeal of a patient who has a strong motivation for cure. • Medical relief of manifestations of sadism that can lead to serious consequences for others, often with the help of drugs that reduce sexual desire, block aggression, instability of behavior and attacks of anger. For this purpose, psychotropic drugs, antidepressants, sedatives and hormonal drugs that reduce testosterone production are prescribed. Only such a comprehensive and purely individual approach can lead to a positive result in the absence of concomitant mental disorders.
As for the prevention of sadism, it must begin from childhood. Love and respect, a calm and favorable psychological environment in the family will not allow the child to develop self-doubt and anxiety. It is important not to suppress aggression in a child, but to encourage its open manifestation, directing it in a different direction - not towards people, but into competitive sports. The desire to dominate and command can be realized in a more acceptable form - for example, practicing martial arts under the guidance of an experienced trainer who adheres to the basic principles of not using the acquired knowledge and skills for aggression and attack. The child will be interested in expressing himself in intellectual and military games and even in the most ordinary things - organizing house cleaning, caring for the local area, buying important things, planning the family budget. Do not suppress your child’s initiative, take into account his opinion, recognize the rationality of his proposals - in this way you will satisfy his desire for self-affirmation and will not allow an inferiority complex to form.
Causes of sadism
Like most human mental disorders, the roots of the disease should be sought in childhood . Dysfunctional families, children growing up in an environment of cruelty and violence get used to and adapt to this model of behavior, which subsequently affects them in adulthood.
Also, the reasons may occur for the following reasons:
- Head injuries;
- Other mental illnesses;
- Features of sexual perception;
- Hidden complexes.
Types and symptoms of sadism
Today there are no uniform diagnostic criteria for sadism, and such a diagnosis does not officially exist either in the ICD-10 or in other classifications of diseases.
So, we can conditionally divide this phenomenon into two large groups:
- sexual or extreme sadism - a classic interpretation of sadism associated with inflicting pain and suffering in order to obtain sexual pleasure; causing pain.
- non-sexual - a phenomenon of sadism associated more with humiliation, pressure and the infliction of suffering as an end in itself, but without connection to sexual arousal.
Taking into account the objects of influence, we can identify an immense group of forms of sadism, but we will be interested only in “popular” forms of pathology:
- psychological sadism;
- necrocadism;
- Zoocadism.
How to recognize a sadist
Since the root of the problem may go back to childhood, it is necessary to monitor the child’s behavior. Cruelty to animals, rudeness, aggressive character - all this may indicate that in the future these negative qualities will not be revealed for the better.
As for an adult, there are obvious signs that may indicate violent tendencies:
- A person constantly humiliates in public ;
- The person lacks empathy ;
- Captures all attention to himself, but does not give it himself;
- Always looking for a reason to accuse the interlocutor of something;
- A cruel sense of humor also indicates unhealthy human behavior.
Distinctive character traits
The classic image of a sadist in the form of a bloodthirsty, aggressive and tough person is a rare phenomenon, which is not so difficult to recognize.
And there is only one way out - to run. Much more often, it is hidden moral sadists who are “represented” in society, showing their behavior and inclinations in a disguised form. Outwardly they are quite normal and easy to communicate with. Upon closer examination and communication, his predatory nature appears, disguised as a kind smile, or not hidden at all. How can one determine the psychological type of sadism?
This is indicated by the following signs and characteristic features of a sadist:
- regular reproaches and insults against the victim, unfounded criticism and coercion to certain actions;
- the victim herself is always subordinate to the decision of the sadist and this gives the latter confidence in his rightness;
- after communicating with a moral sadist, a feeling of humiliation, depression, tears and anxiety arises.
Important!
The main goal of every moral sadist is to humiliate and subjugate the victim, thus expressing his own dignity. With resistance from a stronger personality, the moral sadist will move into the status of a victim.
Is it possible to cure a sadist?
How can you help a person suffering from such a mental disorder? It’s worth noting right away that there is no specific treatment for sadism . But medicine does not stand still and successfully uses methods such as hypnosis, psychotherapy, psychoanalysis, coupled with drug treatment.
In especially severe cases, the patient may be prescribed antiandrogen drugs, which dull the tendency to violence . Treatment is carried out both on an outpatient basis and in hospitals, depending on the severity of the disease.
An important criterion in cure is the patient’s role itself. A person must want to overcome his illness and make every effort to do so. Otherwise, all attempts to help will be in vain.
Signs of inclination
Signs of sadistic tendencies can manifest themselves as:
- dislike of animals
- the desire to conduct experiments with living organisms that are life-threatening,
- disrespectful or offensive behavior with members of the opposite sex (selected victims, not all),
- painful play on the feelings of another person,
- deliberate destruction of other people's plans and hopes,
- unmotivated vindictiveness,
- contempt for some people
- desire to dominate someone
- slander, deception of another person in order to cause trouble
- and many other actions that others may mistakenly regard as bad character traits rather than a mental disorder. Information belongs to the site _rew-med_
Is sadism not a disease? Psychology of sadism
Sadistic personality disorder is not included in international classifications of diseases because in the 1980s they wanted to ban its existence as a separate disease.
In most cases, the disorder was reported to overlap with other psychiatric diagnoses. Sadism often manifests itself in people who have other mental disorders.
Psychology of sadistic behavior
The term sadism was introduced by the founder of sexology, German psychiatrist Richard Krafft-Ebing at the end of the 19th century. The term originally described exclusively sexual pleasure obtained through the infliction of pain and suffering on others. Over time, the term has been expanded to include non-sexual pleasure derived from sadistic acts. According to Sigmund Freud, sadism includes two separate disorders: sexual sadism and general sadistic behavior. More recent research has confirmed this distinction, indicating that sexual sadists do not typically engage in non-sexual sadistic behavior with their partners or others.
What is sadism?
Non-sexual sadism involves obtaining pleasure from other people or living beings experiencing negative emotions, suffering, pain or being in a helpless state, or gaining control or dominance over others through violence, humiliation, or harm. Sadists themselves may commit actions that lead to the emergence of such states in victims or seek the opportunity to contemplate such scenes (for example, scenes of violence in videos).
Often sadists choose professional activities associated with the possibility of legalized moral or physical violence against other living beings: military personnel, police officers, employees of prisons and other places of deprivation of liberty, officials, controllers, inspectors, managers, doctors (often surgical specialists), workers in meat processing plants and farms, fur farms, professional Internet trolls.
Individuals with sadistic tendencies are prone to repeated aggression and violent behavior. Sadism may also include emotional abuse, purposeful manipulation of others through fear (in a couple, family, organized group, state), and a morbid fixation on the need for violence and cruelty in treating other people or living beings. The main motive of sadists is the pursuit of pleasure, control or satisfaction. Sadism is a characteristic feature of political and everyday dictators.
What is the difference between sexual sadism?
Individuals diagnosed with sexual sadism experience sexual arousal when their actions cause suffering to a person who is experiencing physical and/or emotional pain, humiliation, or witness such suffering or fantasize about it.
Is sadism a mental illness?
Sexual sadism in both DSM-III-R and DSM-IV is considered a paraphilia - a sexual deviation (deviation). It is characterized by a person experiencing repeated, intense sexually arousing fantasies or urges, or engaging in behavior that causes psychological or physical distress to others.
Nonsexual sadistic personality disorder was included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III-R) under “Proposed Diagnostic Categories.” Further research is required." The DSM-III-R defined sadistic personality disorder as a persistent pattern of cruel, humiliating, and aggressive behavior toward other people that is directed at more than one person and does not serve the sole purpose of sexual gratification.
Diagnostic criteria for sadistic personality disorder
| A. A persistent pattern of violent, demeaning, and aggressive behavior beginning in early adulthood, as indicated by repeated occurrences of at least 4 of the following: |
| (1) physical cruelty or violence for the purpose of establishing a dominant position in interpersonal relationships (and not simply to achieve some one-time goal, such as violence for the purpose of robbing him) |
| (2) humiliation of people in the presence of others |
| (3) unusually or inappropriately ill-treating or punishing someone under his or her control (such as a child, student, prisoner, or patient) |
| (4) mocking or enjoying the psychological or physical suffering of others (including animals) |
| (5) lying for the purpose of causing harm or pain to others (rather than simply achieving some other goal) |
| (6) forcing others to do what he wants by intimidating them (with threats or violence) |
| (7) restricting the autonomy of people in intimate relationships (for example, not allowing a spouse to leave the house unaccompanied or not allowing a teenage daughter to attend social events) |
| (8) passion for violence, weapons, martial arts, torture. |
| B. The behavior in A was not directed at only one person (eg, spouse, one child) and was not intended to obtain sexual arousal or gratification (as in sexual sadism). |
Later versions of the DSM (DSM-IV, DSM-IV-TR, and DSM-5) dropped this disorder. The reason for excluding sadism from the list of mental disorders was due to legal issues: persons with sadistic tendencies (most often men) who exhibit physical violence, thanks to the diagnosis of “Sadistic Personality Disorder,” were able to legally justify cruel behavior and violence. In practice, personality disorder usually provides only a partial explanation and not a justification for criminal behavior.
Also, doctors have encountered certain difficulties in the differential diagnosis of sadistic personality disorder and other forms of personality disorder due to the high level of comorbidity of these disorders. It has been found that sadistic personality disorder often co-occurs with other personality disorders, such as antisocial, passive-aggressive, avoidant, obsessive-compulsive and borderline personality disorders, and alcoholism. Often sadism is a continuation of the Dark Triad of personality and forms the Dark Tetrad.
What types of sadism are there?
American psychologist Theodore Millon identified four main types of sadism, which he called violent sadism, explosive sadism, spineless sadism and tyrannical sadism.
| Subtype | Description | Character traits |
| Spineless sadism | Includes features of avoidant personality disorder | Generally untrustworthy, false and cowardly, toxically dominant, cruel, afraid of resistance, weak, needing group support for self-esteem, publicly swaggering. He chooses unrequited “scapegoats” as victims. |
| Tyrannical sadism | Includes features of passive-aggressive personality disorder | Relishes threats, violence and mistreatment of others, forcing them to fear and obey, verbally harsh and caustic, accusing and destructive, deliberately sullen, insulting, humiliating, inhumane, unmerciful. |
| Coercive sadism | Includes features of obsessive-compulsive personality disorder | Hostile, hiding behind “public interests” or “interests of the state” - most often police officers, “powerful” bosses, deans, judges who have the “right” to be ruthless, merciless, rude and barbaric. The main task is to control and punish, identify rule violators and punish them. |
| Explosive sadism | Includes features of borderline personality disorder | Unpredictably sharp outbursts of aggression and anger, uncontrollable rage and attacks of violence, a feeling of constant humiliation, which is alleviated by attacks of violence. The outburst is followed by a period of repentance. Then the cycle repeats. |
Psychological characteristics of sadists
Sadists have poor behavioral control, manifested in short temper, irritability, low tolerance for frustration, and a controlling nature. From an interpersonal perspective, they are harsh, hostile, manipulative, lacking empathy, heartless and rude towards those they consider their subordinates or dependents. Sadists can be distinguished by narcissism and Machiavellianism (together with personality disorders, these traits form the so-called Dark Triad). Their cognitive functions are rigid. They are interested in weapons, war, crime and law enforcement, crimes and criminals. It is traditionally believed that sadists strive for a social position that allows them to exercise their need for control over others by humiliating and punishing people. For this reason, sadism is more common among people who work in law enforcement, courts, correctional institutions, the military, and government. Moreover, most sadists are men.
Reasons for the development of sadism
The most common causes of sadistic traits are a lack of close and warm relationships with parents in childhood (low attachment), suboptimal parenting in childhood (i.e., low warmth and high control from parents), and childhood trauma (for example, sexual) - both in the form of physical and emotional abuse. Sadism may be one of the consequences of fetal alcohol syndrome.
Sadism is a pathological form of coping - the desire to turn from a victim of violence into a rapist - that is, to master the situation, to take control of it.
Profiles of probable sadists according to MMPI (SMIL, MMIL, SKLO, MLO)
| Profile code | Profile description |
| 42 | Passive-aggressive type: angry, protesting, disdainful of boundaries, impulsive, unpredictable |
| 24 | Distress, guilt, impulsivity, cycles of wine - alcohol - violence - guilt. One of the most negative forecasts. |
| 26 / 62 | Sad-angry type: feels like a victim and, therefore, feels anger towards others, is critical, bilious |
| 45 / 54 | Pedophiles and rapists with short-term outbursts of anger who deny social values |
| 46 / 64 | Antisocial type or passive-aggressive personality: gloomy, depressed-hostile, outbursts of anger and aggression |
| 48 / 84 | Angry antisocial type: difficult to control behavior, unlimited anger and violence, alcoholism, drugs, prostitution, sexual deviations (active homosexuality, pedophilia), risks of suicide |
| 49 / 94 | Antisocial type: disregard for norms, hyperactive, impulsive, immature, manipulative, confrontational, pugnacious, prone to alcoholism, sexual violence |
| 824, 86 | Aloof paranoid: immature, aloof, suspicious, extremely prone to physical violence, binge alcoholic. |
| 469 | Asocial and antisocial behavior, alcoholism, drug addiction. |
How common is non-sexual sadism?
Among outpatients of mental health specialists, 3-4% meet the criteria for sadistic personality disorder, among adult inpatients of psychiatric departments - 18% (adolescents - 14%), among convicted sex offenders - about 30%, and among serial killers 90% . Female sadists in criminological or psychiatric samples are on average 3 times less common than males. Among combat veterans, sadism occurs at a rate of 8% and is usually comorbid with depression and alcoholism.
Psychodiagnostics of sadism
It is not always possible to reliably determine sadistic tendencies during psychological testing and conversation: people, as a rule, carefully hide their negative traits. Although, as stated above, certain types of personality profiles on the MMPI may indicate probable sadistic tendencies. Sadistic tendencies are also negatively associated with the agreeableness and conscientiousness factors of the five-factor questionnaire (Big Five: NEO-PI, NEO-PI-R, NEO-PI-3). Sadists generally have a better understanding of pain, and can better judge its severity, compared to non-sadists.
Modern neuropsychological methods can serve as an objective diagnostic method: functional MRI, eye tracking, pupilometry, measurement of the latent period of reaction, approach/removal reactions. For example, when presented during a study with audio-visual stimuli containing the pain and suffering of other people, sadists, compared to non-sadists, will demonstrate increased responses in areas of the brain associated with sexual arousal (amygdala, hypothalamus, striatum) and affective pain processing (anterior cingulate cortex, anterior insula). It is possible to use a pictorial Stroop test containing stimuli associated with violence, pain and humiliation, for which the largest average systematic error will be observed.
Screening for sadistic tendencies
For self-assessment or screening studies, you can use the short questionnaire ASP (the Assessment of Sadistic Personality) [R. Plouffe, D. Saklofske, M. Smith. The Assessment of Sadistic Personality: Preliminary psychometric evidence for a new measure / Personality and Individual Differences. - 2021, vol. 104, - pp. 166-171.] Answers are given on a 5-point scale, where 1 is completely false, 5 is completely true. The response to statement #9 is scored on a reverse scale.
- I made fun of people so that they knew that everything was in my hands.
- I never miss an opportunity to push someone.
- I would hurt someone if it meant I was in control of the situation.
- When I bully someone, it's funny to see how upset they get.
- Being mean to others can be fun.
- I enjoy making fun of people in front of their friends.
- It turns me on to watch people get into fights.
- I think about hurting people who annoy me.
- I wouldn't intentionally hurt anyone even if I didn't like them.
Is sadism curable?
Although sadists rarely voluntarily seek help from psychiatrists, there are evidence-based interventions to correct sadistic attitudes using both psychotherapeutic and pharmacological approaches. Psychotherapeutic treatment approaches include both cognitive-behavioral (eg, cognitive restructuring and empathy training) and behavioral techniques (eg, aversion therapy and systematic desensitization), while pharmacological treatment approaches include the use of antidepressants to reduce impulsivity and antiandrogens to reduce sexual intercourse. attractions.
Andrey Demkin
