The literature manifests increasing agreement regarding some findings in the area of child molesters' cognitions. One robust finding concerns fantasy, especially deviant sexual fantasy. Child molesters apparently fantasize about their offenses prior to the actual behavior. This may be more true for obsessed or preferential molesters than regressed or situational offenders, but such a state-of-affairs has yet to be established. Reduction or elimination of deviant fantasy and replacement by more appropriate images should be a target of treatment programs for child molesters. Child molesters may view themselves as undesirable or less than adequate individuals. Negative self-image may provide the basis for the relatively consistent behavioral finding that many child molesters display or report shyness or difficulty in social interaction. The importance of assessing and altering thoughts about inadequacy or lack of social/sexual efficacy is indicated. Social cognitive research into child molesters' attributional processes has found that molesters tend to have difficulty accounting for their sexually deviant behavior. Many ascribe their offenses to alcohol abuse. More detailed studies that examine differences among molesters must be done. 85 references