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Protocol for Studying Extinction of Conditioned Fear in Naturally Cycling Female Rats

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Professional perspectives on sexual sadism.

Julia E McLawsen¹, Rebecca L Jackson, Steven D Vannoy

¹University of Nebraska -Lincoln, Nebraska, USA.

Sexual Abuse : a Journal of Research and Treatment

|September 9, 2008

Summary

The diagnosis of sexual sadism is controversial. Professionals may reliably distinguish sadistic from nonsadistic sexual offending behaviors based on perceived essentialness for diagnosis.

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Area of Science:

Forensic Psychology
Clinical Psychology
Psychopathology

Background:

The diagnosis of sexual sadism is subject to significant controversy.
Previous research indicates that diagnostic criteria often fail to differentiate sexual offenders with and without this diagnosis.
Concerns exist regarding the reliability and validity of sexual sadism diagnosis due to inconsistent professional conceptualizations.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate how mental health professionals conceptualize and prioritize behaviors associated with sexual sadism.
To examine the perceived essentialness of sadistic versus nonsadistic sexual offending behaviors in diagnostic decision-making.

Main Methods:

Professionals were surveyed on their ratings of the essentialness of various behaviors for diagnosing sexual sadism.
Behaviors were categorized based on established conceptualizations of sexual sadism and nonsadistic sexual offending.

Main Results:

Professionals rated behaviors linked to three out of four conceptualizations of sexual sadism as significantly more essential for diagnosis.
This suggests professionals can differentiate between behaviors indicative of sadistic and nonsadistic sexual offending.

Conclusions:

Despite diagnostic controversies, professionals appear to apply consistent criteria when evaluating the essentialness of behaviors for sexual sadism diagnosis.
Findings support the potential for reliable discrimination between sadistic and nonsadistic sexual offense behaviors in clinical practice.