NCJ Number
128720
Date Published
1990
Length
5 pages
Annotation
The Rorschach provides a detailed picture of the personality structure of juvenile sexual offenders that is free of self-report and observational biases.
Abstract
The Comprehensive System of the Rorschach gives more emphasis to the perceptual-cognitive nature of the Rorschach rather than to its use as a projective test. The Comprehensive system is based on the premise that a person's underlying personality structure and problemsolving strategy is revealed by how he solves the moderately ambiguous perceptual-cognitive task that the Rorschach presents. The Guilford County Juvenile Sexual Offender Program (Colorado) has used the Rorschach as part of its comprehensive evaluation and risk assessment for nearly two years. The description of offender deficits produced by the Rorschach was congruent with the profile developed by clinicians working in the field. The Rorschach does not produce a discrete profile of the juvenile sexual offender, however, since many other adolescent groups share the same personality characteristics identified. The test can never be used to determine the issue of guilt or innocence. The test can be used to help determine appropriate treatment placement, establish clinical goals for each person, monitor change as it occurs, and provide outcome measures at termination. 2 references