The article contains a list of 17 guidelines to be followed before composing a disposition plan. Step one requires that the mental health professional responsible for assessing the alleged offender review all available police, social service, and other reports of the offense and be aware of the victim's story of what occurred. Step two includes interviewing victims and witnesses. Step three requires that the mental health professional attempt to discover whether the alleged abuser has a history of mental illness and/or treatment. Steps four and five include researching the accused's military, vocational, and educational history and the role of chemical dependency and pornography in the accused's life. Steps six and seven develop the suspect's social and family history and inquire into the possibility that the accused has a childhood history of sexual abuse. The remaining steps include an examination of the accused's criminal and sexual offense history, his capacity to accept responsibility, psychological testing and physiological assessment, and a polygraph test. 10 references.