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Further validation of the short self‐esteem scale with sexual offenders
Author(s) -
Webster Stephen D.,
Mann Ruth E.,
Thornton David,
Wakeling Helen C.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
legal and criminological psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.65
H-Index - 57
eISSN - 2044-8333
pISSN - 1355-3259
DOI - 10.1348/135532506x114347
Subject(s) - psychology , clinical psychology , self esteem , internal consistency , prison , intervention (counseling) , scale (ratio) , psychometrics , psychiatry , criminology , physics , quantum mechanics
Objective . This research was designed to validate a brief measure of self‐esteem in sexual offenders: the Short Self‐Esteem Scale (SSES). Method . The SSES was administered to 1,376 adult males serving a prison sentence for a sexual offence, and 40 non‐offending males. Results . The internal consistency and test–retest reliability of the measure were excellent. The measure was able to discriminate between different types of sexual offender, and between sexual offenders with differing levels of static risk. The instrument's sensitivity to sexual offender treatment intervention was also demonstrated. Conclusions . The SSES is a useful screening tool for self‐esteem deficits in sexual offenders. However it cannot identify problematic high self‐esteem and it does not differentiate between types or domains of self‐esteem.