Sadism in sexual homicide offenders: identifying distinct groups

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether it is possible to identify different types of sadistic offenders within a sample of sexual homicide offenders (SHOs).

Design/methodology/approach

The study addresses this research question through the use of two-step hierarchal cluster analysis and binary logistic regression utilizing a sample of 350 cases of sexual homicide from Canada.

Findings

Results from cluster analysis show that three groups emerge: a non-sadistic group, a mixed group that show evidence of some sadistic behavior and a sadistic group that have high levels of sadistic behavior. Additionally, the sadistic cluster was more likely to destroy or remove evidence at the crime scene than the mixed and non-sadistic cluster and was more likely to leave the victim’s body at a deserted location than the non-sadistic cluster.

Originality/value

This is the first study to examine the dimensionality of sadism within a sample of SHOs.

Citation

Reale, K., Beauregard, E. and Martineau, M. (2017), "Sadism in sexual homicide offenders: identifying distinct groups", Journal of Criminal Psychology, Vol. 7 No. 2, pp. 120-133. https://doi.org/10.1108/JCP-11-2016-0042