Cruelty in the Everyday: A Literature Review of Everyday Sadism 

ABSTRACT
This systematic review explores everyday sadism, a subclinical form of cruelty expressed through socially acceptable behaviours such as trolling, workplace bullying, and schadenfreude. Distinct from criminal and consensual sexual sadism, it is examined within the Dark Tetrad framework, complementing
narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy. Synthesising over 85 studies using PRISMA guidelines, the review evaluates evolutionary, cognitive-behavioural, and reinforcement models, psychometric measures and experimental paradigms. Findings highlight its prevalence across relationships, workplaces, and online spaces, and outline ethical challenges, interventions, and directions for cross-cultural and longitudinal research.

Ward, R. (2025). Cruelty in the Everyday: A Literature Review of Everyday Sadism. Deviant Behavior, 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1080/01639625.2025.2556938