The effects of family dysfunction on Rorschach protocols of incarcerated juveniles

Trauma and neglect negatively impact the lives of millions of children in the United States each year (Meyer & Phillips, 1990; Perry, Colwell, & Schick 2002). Although the full impact of these phenomena is not completely known, it is clear that the effects are often very destructive (Holaday & Whittenberg, 1994; Holaday, 1998; Holaday 2000; Scroppo, Weinberger, Drob, & Eagle, 1998). The Rorschach is an excellent and comprehensive measure of personality functioning (Viglione, Perry, and Meyer, 2003; Perry, et al. 2003), and has been used in countless studies that have investigated how personality is affected by particular events, circumstances, and psychological disorders (Smith, 1991; Franklin, K. W. & Cornell, D. Gl, 1997; Bridges, M. R., Wilson, J. S., & Gacono, C. B., 1998). The goal of this study was to shed further light on the degree to which trauma and neglect within the family of origin impacts the Rorschach protocols of incarcerated adolescents. The sample consisted of 100 juveniles who were incarcerated in northeast Indiana; 53 of these individuals had some history of abuse and/or neglect, and 47 did not. While none of the hypotheses were found to have statistical support, several interesting findings came out of the study. Although there were no significant findings between the study and comparison groups, both groups differed significantly from Exner's normative data in every way. Along with this, the study group evidenced a significantly greater number of reflection responses when compared with the normative data; this was especially true of those who were 17 years of age and older.