MMPI taxonomies of child sexual and nonsexual offenders: a cross-validation and extension

Empathy and narcissism in a sample of child abuse perpetrators and a comparison sample of foster parents

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this research was to study the personality variables of empathy and narcissism in a sample of child abuse perpetrators and a comparison sample of foster parents, conceptualized as nonabusive parents, in order to gain further understanding of perpetrators and to provide clues for intervention.

METHOD

The sample consisted of two groups: physically and emotionally abusive parents (n=52) and foster parents (n=101). Participants responded to three instruments: the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI), an instrument measuring individual differences in empathy, and two instruments measuring narcissism: the Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI) and the Hypersensitivity Narcissism Scale (HSNS).

RESULTS

Statistically significant differences were found between the two groups on three of the four subscales of the IRI: perspective-taking, empathic concern, and personal distress. Based on the definition of these subscales, the abusive parents as compared to the foster parents were not able to take the perspective of another or see things from another's viewpoint, showed less warmth, compassion and concern for others, and experienced difficulty in tense interpersonal situations. Statistically significant differences were found for the two groups on three of the six subscales of the NPI: authority, exhibitionism, and superiority, and on the HSNS. The abusive parents demonstrated less self-confidence, a greater lack of impulse control and were more narcissistic than their foster parent counterparts.

CONCLUSIONS

The results suggest that it is how the perpetrators experience aversive behavior in their children that may provoke them to physically and emotionally abuse their children. Their self-centeredness in addition to their deficiencies in empathy may cause them to experience their children's misbehavior as an affront to their authority. Implications for treatment are made from this conceptualization of parental abuse.

The relationship between static and dynamic risk factors and reconviction in a sample of U.K. child abusers

This study examined how well historical information and psychometric data predicted sexual recidivism in a sample of child abusers about to undergo group-based cognitive behavioral treatment in the community. Static, historical factors, as measured by the Static-99 (R. K. Hanson & D. Thornton, 2000), significantly predicted recidivism over the 6-year follow-up period. High-risk men were over 5 times more likely to be reconvicted for a sexual offence compared to low-risk men. Adding psychometric measures of dynamic risk (e.g., pro-offending attitudes, socio-affective problems) significantly increased the accuracy of risk prediction beyond the level achieved by the actuarial assessment of static factors. This result indicates the importance of considering dynamic risk factors in any comprehensive risk protocol.

Differences and similarities between violent offenders and sex offenders

OBJECTIVES

To investigate differences and similarities between violent offenders and two types of sex offenders, rapists and child molesters, in terms of their personality, the nature of the victim, the role of alcohol, and their confession to their crime.

METHOD

Thirty-six adult sex offenders, 23 child molesters, and 32 violent offenders were compared on personality measures, their relationship with the victim, the presence of alcohol intoxication, their confession rate and retraction at trial, and the reasons they gave for having confessed to the police.

RESULTS

Child molesters and adult sex offenders (rapists) were significantly more introverted than the violent offenders. The child molesters had higher social desirability scores than the other groups, they tended to assault relatives and friends, they were rarely intoxicated while committing the offense, and they had strong internal need to confess to the police. Rapists and violent offenders were more commonly intoxicated during the commission of the offense; the former tended to assault acquaintances, where violent offenders most commonly assaulted strangers. Exactly half of the rapists retracted their confession when the case went to trial; in contrast none of the other offenders retracted their confession.

CONCLUSIONS

The results show that there are significant differences as well as similarities between the three groups of offenders, which have implications for assessment and treatment.

Psychological screening of sexually violent offenders with the MCMI

The MCMI was administered to 603 recently convicted violent offenders, grouped according to nature of the offense into child molesters (n = 201), rapists (n = 195), and non-sexually aggressive felons (n = 205). Both groups of sexual offenders were more passive-aggressive, but child molesters were more dependent, anxious, and depressed than the other two groups, whose personality style was more narcissistic and independent with little psychic distress. Results confirm earlier findings based on MMPI test results, which show that the personality styles of rapists are more similar to those of non-sexually aggressive felons than to those of child molesters. Test variance can no longer be the basis for these replicated findings.

The utility of the Megargee-Bohn typology in a forensic psychiatric hospital

The utility of the Megargee-Bohn MMPI typology (Megargee & Bohn, 1979) was examined in 1007 male forensic psychiatric inpatients. The 10 profile types were identified although the proportions differed as expected from the original sample. Comparison of demographic, clinical, and forensic characteristics revealed significant differences between 9 of the profile types. Our findings indicate that the typology can reliably and usefully describe different categories of patients in our setting. The typology can also be used to make inferences about treatment needs. Our findings support the continued development of an MMPI-based actuarial system for criminal populations as has been done for psychiatric populations.