DOZENS OF TYPOLOGIES OF RAPISTS AND OTHER SEXUALLY AGGRESSIVE PERSONALITIES HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED. ORGANIZING DIMENSIONS HAVE INCLUDED THE PREASSAULT TRANSACTIONS BETWEEN VICTIM AND ASSAILANT, THE LIFE PATTERNS AND PSYCHODYNAMICS OF THE ASSAILANT, THE LEVEL OF VIOLENCE, AND THE TARGET. IN CONTRAST TO THE TYPOLOGICAL APPROACH, THE PSYCHOLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION APPROACH SEEKS TO DESCRIBE THE TRAITS CONSISTENTLY PRESENT IN SUCH OFFENDERS. SUMMARY DESCRIPTIONS OF SIX PSYCHOLOGICAL STUDIES REVEAL NO CLEAR, SINGULAR PATTERN OF FINDINGS. PRELIMINARY STUDIES OF THE WIVES OF ASSAILANTS RAISE THE POSSIBILITY THAT WIVES AND OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS MAY PROVIDE INSIGHT INTO THE MOTIVATIONS OF SEXUAL OFFENDERS. LITTLE BRAIN SURGERY, SURGICAL CASTRATION, OR ANTIANDROGEN THERAPY IS MOST COMMON. BOTH GROUP AND INDIVIDUAL PSYCHODYNAMIC THERAPIES USED WITH PSYCHIATRIC PATIENTS HAVE BEEN APPLIED TO SEXUAL OFFENDERS. BEHAVIORAL THERAPIES FOR SEXUAL OFFENDERS APPEAR TO BE THE AREA IN WHICH THE GREATEST BREAKTHROUGHS ARE BEING MADE. THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW TECHNIQUES, OF OUTCOME MEASURES, AND OF QUALITY CLINICAL RESEARCH MAKES BEHAVIORAL THERAPY THE MOST PROMISING AREA OF PSYCHOLOGICAL TREATMENT FOR SEXUAL OFFENDERS. OF PARTICULAR INTEREST IS AN INTEGRATED TREATMENT PROGRAM CONSISTING OF THE FOLLOWING COMPONENTS: REDUCTION OF DEVIANT SEXUAL AROUSAL; DEVELOPMENT OF HETEROSEXUAL AROUSAL; AND ACQUISITION OF HETEROSOCIAL SKILLS, HETEROSEXUAL-SOCIAL SKILLS, AND ASSERTIVE BEHAVIORS. (LKM)