Incidence of the Inanimate Movement, Human Movement, and Human Content Responses Among Juvenile Delinquents Reporting Physical Abuse

• NCJ Number: 95495
• Author(s): R W Evans
• Date Published: 1982
• Length: 83 pages
• Sale Source: UMI Dissertation Services
• Publication Type: Thesis/Dissertation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: *This document is currently unavailable from NCJRS. United States International University - doctoral dissertation

Annotation

The incidence of specific Rorschach scoring variables among groups of 30 delinquent/abused adolescents and 30 nonabused/delinquent adolescents is examined.

Abstract

The literature revealed that juvenile delinquents evidence different Rorschach response styles than their nondelinquent peers. Responses suggest that juvenile delinquents have decreased abilities to delay impulses and to display empathy toward others. Unfortunately, most Rorschach studies have not identified subgroups within the delinquent population. Results of this study show that juvenile delinquents who had been abused as children were significantly more likely to exhibit a higher incidence of the inanimate movement response on Rorschach's Test than their nonabused peers. One possible explanation is that abused juvenile delinquents may experience considerably more anxiety or tension than their nonabused peers. However, the two experimental groups did not differ significantly regarding the incidence of the human content response. This suggests that the two groups do not differ significantly in interest in others. No significant difference appeared between the two groups in the incidence of human movement responses, suggesting that abused delinquents and nonabused delinquents do not differ significantly in their potential for empathic concern for others. A list of 85 references is supplied.