UC Merced Undergraduate Research Journal

In this literature review, we will be discussing how sadistic behavior and its correlation to sexual coercion leads to fetishes and sexual aggression. Studies such as Robertson & Knight’s key defining aspects to sadism revolve around domination and control over victims. The study conducted by Robertson & Knight compromised of 314 sadistic incarcerated male sex offenders were given the PCL-R which was able to significantly predict all sexual violence factors. Additionally, within a second group comprised of 599 participants were deemed sexually dangerous due to results predicting violence, physical control and sexual behavior. The researchers concluded that, sadism is highly correlated with sexual violence. Sadism falls under the larger umbrella of paraphilias which include necrophilia, psychopathy sexual sadism (sexual coercion and sexual aggression). The serial killer Jerome Henry Brudos, was an exemplified this idea. Brudos, had a domineering mother and was said to be of lower intellectual capacity. Brudos was a sexual sadist, who had the comorbidity of necrophilia and fetishism and as a result was a violent serial killer.