The criminal fantasy technique: A comparison of sex offenders and substance abusers

Abstract

Presented a newly developed projective technique that utilizes criminal fantasy in an attempt to help in the prediction of crime and to gain psychodynamic insights into such offenders. Protocols of 37 compulsive sex of fenders were compared to a group of 13 substance abusers who served as clinical controls. Statistical significance regarding the difference in number of judged pathological stories for the two groups was reached for all cards that were designed to elicit sexual fantasy. Cards depicting crimes of a non‐sexual nature were not seen differently by the two groups, which was an expected finding. Raw data that highlighted the richness of the elicited projective material also were presented.