It is a widely held belief that there is a relationship between sexual offending and sexual fantasy. However, this relationship is poorly defined and emerged mainly from elementary research on extremely violent sex offenders. Clinicians and researchers have accepted the premise that sexual fantasy escalates in frequency and intensity, driving violent sexual offenders into sexually criminal episodes that temporarily satiate the fantasy. A survey of the research literature comparing non-offender and offender groups regarding the role of sexual fantasy in sexual behavior focuses on five main models: (1) fantasy as a guide for offending; (2) fantasy as a rehearsal for offending; (3) fantasy as a means of arousal; (4) common origins of fantasy and offending; and (5) fantasy enhancement as a factor in offending. Non-offenders seem to experience sexual fantasy as a means of sexual arousal, but do not allow fantasy to guide their behavior. Future research should focus on the role of sexual fantasy in the commission of non-contact sexual offenses, such as those committed on the Internet, in order to inform treatment. References