title: The mind of the sexual predator.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This review reports recent articles in the criminological literature that may be of help in understanding the psychodynamics of sexual predators in the hope of better defining them and preventing recidivistic behavior.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Recent literature presents the motivations behind sexual offending, attempting to explain in a psychodynamic way the complex problem of the aberrant sexual drives of the sexual predator. Recent civil commitment laws and their implications are touched upon.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The literature presented will enable the criminology practitioner to reach a more holistic understanding of the sexual predator and better detection of them.
authors.affiliation: University of Nevada Medical School, Reno, Nevada 89044, USA. palermogb@juno.com
authors.forename: George B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Palermo
mesh_terms: D000987:Antisocial Personality Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D011606:Psychosexual Development / Q000502:physiology; D011902:Rape; D012742:Sex Offenses / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data