Sexual violence against women: A psychological approach to the assessment and management of rapists in the community

Sexual violence against women is known to be a crime which is grossly under-reported, and when perpetrators have been convicted, their characteristics appear to comprise a heterogeneous profile which has been poorly researched. This paper aims to collate and present the evidence base to date on sexual offenders with adult victims, including reference to background characteristics, typologies, risk assessment measures, treatment and personality functioning. A framework for community management decisions is described.