T04-P-01 Sex reassignment: comparing expert reports

Abstract

The present study draws from a previous research conducted in several Italian Courts. The present research explores how the expert reports are conducted on the sex reassignment. The Italian law 164/82 on the sex reassignment provides that the judge, where he considers appropriate, set an expert report. The expert can use several tools on the basis of his/her professional background. Objective The aim of this study is to highlight which psychological tests are used during the expert reports and to relate them with the different experts. For this aim Courts where request for sex reassignments were chosen and, in particular, those Courts where an expert report was present. Finally, the association between type of surgical interventionand type of test was examined. Design and method Archivial data collection was used. Commited Courts were identified as well as different experts who reported the assessment along with instruments adopted. Results Corrispondence analysis showed a different pattern of association among the several test and practitioners. The first dimension discriminated general personality tests from those specific, as well as psychiatrists and forensic scientist from psychologist. The second dimension separated qualitatively general personality tests from those with psychopatological framework. Conclusions Psychologists, forensic scientist and psychiatrists showed different profiles in using psychological tests for the issue. The analysis of spatial configuration highlighted that forensic scientist use more of psychopatological personality tests. Instead, psychiatrists seemed to use more general tests. Finally, psychologists, seemed to use more specific instruments related with the measurement of gender identity.