Date of Award:

5-1995

Document Type:

Thesis

Degree Name:

Master of Science (MS)

Department:

Human Development and Family Studies

Department name when degree awarded

Family and Human Development

Committee Chair(s)

D. Kim Openshaw

Committee

D. Kim Openshaw

Abstract

The Sex-Offender Characteristic Inventory-Male Version (SOCI-M) was filled out by a national sample of 78 clinicians experienced in the treatment of youthful sex offenders. Using factor analysis, clinician perceptions of the biopsychosocial characteristics related to normal, conduct-disordered, and sex-offending youth were determined.

All of the variables in the categories considered in this study factored into at least three distinct normal, conduct-disordered, and sex-offender youthful factors, with sex-offender variables loading onto more than one sex-offender factor in some categories. The normal youth factors accounted for the greatest variability in the Learning Disabled, Tourette's Syndrome, Borderline Traits, Histrionic Traits, DSM III-R Diagnosis, Problematic Relationships, Physical Illness/Injury, General Affect/Mood, and General Cognitive categories. The conduct-disordered youth factors accounted for the greatest variability in the Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder, Reactive Attachment Traits, and Antisocial Trait categories. Overall, the three groups tended to be more similar than different.

Although the sex-offender variables accounted for the least amount of variability, they loaded onto specific sex-offender-related factors in some categories and were distinct from the normal factors, conduct-disordered factors, and other sex-offender factors. This included the Antisocial Trait variables, which loaded onto four types of sex-offender factors; the Physical Illness/Injury variables, which loaded onto two sex-offender factors; and the General Affect/Mood and General Cognitive variables, which both loaded onto two sex-offender factors. The distinct sex-offending factors may be indicative of different types of sex offenders.

Discriminant analysis was unsuccessful in classifying pedophilic and mixed-offender groups based on the resulting biopsychosocial factors.

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