Anxiety and depression levels in rape offenders
Herrera-Hernández, E.; Marván, L.; Saavedra, M.; Contreras, C.M.
Acta Psiquiatrica y Psicologica de America Latina 39(1): 53-57
1993
ISSN/ISBN: 0001-6896 PMID: 8237434 Document Number: 412217
Whether the active subject of rape possesses a particular personality trait is a much debated matter. It is an accepted fact that a small amount of rapists fall into the sadistic diagnostic category. Other psychopatologic traits likely to identify a rapist are, however, unknown. The present study was carried over at a jail near the city of Xalapa (Veracruz) Mexico. Hamilton, IDARE, and Zung scales, in their modified Spanish version were applied to a sample of imprisoned adult rapists. Compared to their control group (men serving sentences for other felonies), rapists scored higher in anxiety, and depression scales. In the light of these results, it is suggested that some rapists are likely to be anxious-depressive subjects that, after having "acquired" a sociopathic repertoire, offend other people in conditions of indefensiveness, contrary to depressive subjects who aggress themselves.