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JOURNAL OF INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE / September 1986 arousal (Abel, 1982), sadistic fantasies (Brittain, 1970; MacCulloch, Snowden, Wood, & Mills, 1983), and childhood sexual abuse (Groth, 1979; Seghorn, Boucher, & Prentky, in press). In a report of a British study of 16 male patients diagnosed with psychopathic disorders and hospitalized in a psychiatric facility, the crucial link between sadistic fantasy and behavior is discussed (MacCulloch et al., 1983). The authors raise the following question: If sadistic fantasy hasa role in the genesis and maintenance of sadistic behavior, what factors lead some individuals to act out their fantasies? Although they state that they believe any answer would include multiple factors, the authors speculate that factors observed in their subpopulation of 13 sadistic fantasizers include childhood abuse (being tied up andanal assault) and/or adolescent sexual experiences (MacCulloch et al., 1983). The linking of childhood sexual abuse to subsequent problems and behavior is not a new idea. Freud in 1895 believed that hysterical symptoms of his female patients could be traced to an early traumatic experience and that the wauma was always related to the patient's sexual life. The trauma manifested itself when revived later, usually after puberty, asa memory. However, Freud later reversed his belief in 1905 and said that the sexual seductions his patients reported were not all reports of real events, but fantasies created by the individual (Masson, 1984). This reversal created a major shift in the priorities of psychological investigation. The external, realistic trauma was re- placed in importance by infantile sexual wishes and fantasies. In the past decade clinicians (Herman, 1981) and feminists (Rush, 1980) have challenged this perspective and are now proposing that sexual abuse in childhood may have a common base in a wide range of social problems. The propositions are based on observations of the prevalence of early child sexual abuse found in populations of runaways (Janus, Scanlon, & Price, 1984), juvenile delinquents (Garbarino & Plant, 1984), prostitutes (James & Meyerding, 1977; Silbert & Pines, 1981), psychiatric patients (Carmen, Rieker, & Mills, 1984), substance abusers (Densen-Gerber, 1975), and sex offenders (Groth, 1979; Seghorm et al., in press). Although these studies have looked at various populations, none has examined sexual murderers. In an attempt to address the question National Institute of Justice (#82-CX-0065). We wish to acknowledge gratefully Marieanne L. Clark for contributions to earlier drafts of this article. 83