Analysis of Sexual Sadism Essay Example

for de Sade’s perverse sexual ambitions of his later years.

The details of his behaviors have been outlined in detail elsewhere” (Du Plessix-Gray 1998; Stone, Butler, &Young, 2009; Thomas, 1992). De Sade, tells of his actions in his writings. He also had a habit of paying prostitutes to endure his punishments as being wiped, or vice versa whipping de Sade. His writings told of the type of intercourse he acted in, from whipping, orgies, to female cutting, bondage, anal sex, and insertion of different objects in sexual orifices. His most common punishment in his novels is coincidentally the birch rod, in which he experienced at the hand f the Jesuits.

As noted above my interest in the area of sexual abnormalities comes from Albert Fish (1870-1936). He too experienced similar treatment as a child in an orphanage. Abandoned by his mother, he experienced the beginning of an end by being sadistically treated. At the age of 9 he began to enjoy the beatings and he linked the sadist behavior to his sexual desires. Previously stated the DSM, The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, has defined Sexual Sadism ambiguously.

In the fourth edition of the DSM sexual sadism is defined as follows: “….. recurrent, intense sexually arousing fantasies, sexual urges, or behaviors involving acts (real, not simulated) in which the psychological or physical suffering (including humiliation) of the victim is sexually exciting to the person” (p. 530). Also it includes: “The fantasies, sexual urges, or behaviors cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning”(p. 530).

The only problem with this definition is that

includes that a person can be diagnosed with sexual sadism either if they have fantasies alone, or if they participate in pain-inducing behaviors. That means a person may be considered a sexual sadist even if they have never inflicted pain that involves sex. In addition to the excitement received from inflicting pain on another, a person diagnosed with sexual sadism will also experience impairment or distress in functioning due to sadistic behaviors or fantasies.

The DSM, is in much need for revision regarding the criteria for the diagnosis of sexual sadism. The diagnosis of sexual sadism is complicated. Most people do not willingly seek treatment. Some are referred to treatment by a court order. Some are motivated by wives, girlfriends, or significant others, and some fear that their employer or family members will find out. The diagnosis is the result based off the psychiatrists interview. Some cases, the patient will be given questionnaires or attend a special facility that works with sexuality disorders to better understand the patients cognitive.

DSM-IV-TR criteria for sexual sadism include “recurrent intense sexual fantasies, urges, or behaviors involving real acts in which another person is suffering psychological or physical suffering, pain, and humiliation”(Fahmy, n. d. ). The criterion also requires that the person has acted on these urges or fantasies with a nonconsenting person, or the person suffers from distress or personal problems related to sadistic behaviors. Other mental disorders may be present, such as Anti Personality Disorder, or other paraphilias. Most patients that suffer from sexual sadism are males.

Sexual sadism is found predominately in males and usually begins with puberty, or early childhood development. Behaviors

begin for most patients in adulthood and involve nonconsenting partners. Sexual sadists are active in all spectrums of society; their financial status and demographics do not play a role in the epidemiology of sexual sadism. This analysis provides a brief description of the neuropsychological disorder Sexual Sadism. Further research will be implemented in the final project, which will further describe the sexual sadism disorder.