Major Factors in the Assessment of Paraphilics and Sex Offenders

An assessment is presented that examines a number of prominent factors from the professional literature describing the background and clinical characteristics of paraphilic individuals and sex offenders. The factors include sexual history and preference, substance abuse, mental illness, personality and defensiveness, history of violence, neuropsychological impairment, and biological problems. The reliability and validity of measures in use are reviewed with suggestions for a battery of measures that offer some index of dangerousness and targets for treatment.