Trait and type differences among male and female assaultive and nonassaultive offenders.

Trait and type differences, defined by MMPI scale scores and profiles, of offenders arrested for misdemeanor assaultive and nonassaultive offenses were investigated. The subjects were male and female offenders who were found guilty by the courts and sent to a clinic for a dispositional evalution. Only the Ma Scale showed a significant difference between assaultive and nonassaultive male offenders. Assaultive female offenders were lower than nonassaultive females on the Hy and Mf Scales. In addition, the 4-3 MMPI profile had the smallest percentage of assaultive offenses while the 4-8 profile had the largest. The results do not support the existence of a single, clearly defined set of traits or profile type that is involvedin an assaultive offense.