ABSTRACT
To draw the distinction, therefore, between the punishers and the punished in terms of static characteristics such as personality traits appears highly artificial, since punishing and being punished are experiences common to us all. A considerable amount of research has been conducted by learning theorists concerning the relationship between the punisher and the punished. Psychoanalysts have argued that certain individuals have an overwhelming desire to be punished and commit crimes to satisfy this desire. Punishment can be useful to the punished as a defense mechanism, especially if the punisher is full of guilt about administering punishment and it is physical punishment. Punishment is embedded in the history of our culture and is deeply imprinted on our characters. The history of and beliefs about the kinds of men who became executioners through British history make fascinating stories on their own, and certainly some of them were great characters in their own right.
