Use of the MMPI and its derived scales with sex offenders

A total of 157 sex offenders were administered the MMPI. They were subdivided into violent and nonviolent, substance abuser versus nonabuser, criminal history versus no criminal history, CT brain abnormalities versus no abnormalities and into more and less defensive groups. From the MMPI, 125 scales measuring sexual behavior, substance abuse, violence, personality, defensiveness, and brain damage were examined for reliability, factor structure and discriminant validity. Results showed that most scales were internally consistent. Discriminant validity was modest in most cases but results suggest that many scales examined would be useful aids in screening and profiling sex offenders.