Sex History Questionnaire for Males – Revised (SHQ-R)
The Sex History Questionnaire for Males – Revised (SHQ-R) is designed to aid in the evaluation and treatment of known sex offenders. The SHQ-R examines a wide range of conventional and deviant sexual behaviors. The test measures six main categories of sexual experiences divided into 21 scales for quantitative assessment. In addition, two validity scales scores are provided to help assess the respondent’s candidness.
It is important to understand that the SHQ-R is not used to determine whether an individual has committed a sex-crime. For the purpose of the present evaluation the SHQ-R provides three benefits: 1) it evaluates a broad range of sexual behaviors that can be further explored during the subsequent interview process. 2) it provides a comparison of a particular individual’s sexual behaviors in comparison to rates found in known sex offenders. 3) it allows for an independent assessment of how candid (truthful) the subject is regarding their reported sex history.
- For reliability, Table 5.4 of the manual shows statistical reliability of the SHQ scales is good to extremely good. The commonly used criteria for assessing the reliability values is that .60-.70 indicates adequate to good reliability, .70-.80 is very good, and anything above .80 is excellent.
- For accepted practice, the SHQ has been in use since about 1967. The manual documents the approximately 1500 cases that were used to standardize and test the instrument. The SHQ is one of the few, perhaps only, formally published questionnaire that is available to psychologists/psychiatrists for detailed examination of sexual preferences, behaviors, and history
- The SHQ is scientifically developed with several relevant peer reviewed articles. The scoring follows standard psychometric practices, and the validity of the SHQ has been supported.