In the last twenty years, there has been an increase in the number of studies published on predicting the recidivism of sexual offenders. Several approaches to risk assessment have been developed, including clinical and actuarial models. Assessing Risk in Sex Offenders provides a comprehensive review of risk factors associated with sexual recidivism as well as the means for assessing and applying risk assessment models for sexual offenders.

Leam A. Craig, PhD, MSc, BA (Hons), CSci, AFBPsS, EuroPsy, C.Psychol (Forensic) is a consultant Forensic Psychologist and Partner of Forensic Psychology Practice Ltd. He is the holder of the European Certificate in Psychology. His current practice includes direct services to forensic NHS Adult Mental Health trusts and consultancy to Prison and Probation Services. He acts as an expert witness to civil and criminal courts in the assessment of sexual and violent offenders. he coordinates community-based treatment programmes for sexual offenders with learning disabilities in NHS and probation settings and acts as a consultant to private forensic learning disability units. He has published numerous empirical articles and chapters in a range of research professionals journals. He has recently completed a book with Professors Anthony Beech and Kevin Browne entitled Assessment and treatment of Sex Offenders: A Handbook, and is currently working on Assessment and treatment of Sexual Offenders with Intellectual disabilities: A Handbook, Wiley-Blackwell, with Professors Kevin Browne and William Lindsay. He is an honorary member of the teaching and research staff at the centre for Forensic and family Psychology, University of Birmingham, UK.

Kevin D. Browne, PhD, MSc, MEd, BSc, C.Biol, C.Psychol (Foresnic) is both a chartered Biologist and Chartered Psychologist employed by the University of Liverpool as Chair of Forensic and Child Psychology and Head of the World Health Organisation Collaboration Centre on child Care and Protection in the UK. He has been researching family violence and child maltreatment for 30 years and has published extensively on the prevention of violence to children, acting as Co-Editor (with Prof. M.A. Lynch) of Child Abuse Review from 1992 to 1999. After 12 years as an Executive Councilor of the International Society for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (ISPCAN) he is now consultant to the European Commission, UNICEF, World Bank and the WHO. He has worked and presented in over 50 countries worldwide and is currently leading an EU/WHO investigation on the extent of early institutional care and its detrimental effects on child development. this involves training and capacity building to dinstitutionalise and transform children's services across Europe. recently, he was a consultant and contributing author to the UN Secretary General's World Report on Violence to Children (published in October 2006). His other co-authored Wiley books include, Preventing Family Violence (1997), Early Prediction and Prevention of Child Abuse: A Handbook (2002), and most recently Community Health Approach to the Assessment of Infants and their Parents (2006).

Anthony R. Beech, D. Phil, BSc, FBPsS, C.Psychol (Forensic) is Professor of Criminological Psychology and Director of Centre for Forensic and Family Psychology, University of Birmingham. he has published widely on the assessment and treatment of sexual offenders and is the principal researcher on the Sex Offender treatment Evaluation Project (STEP) team that has examined the effectiveness of treatment for sex offenders provided in UK prisons and probation services. His work is regarded as having a major influence on assessment and treatment in the UK. He has recently completed a book with Professor Tony Ward and Dr Devon Polaschek entitled Theories of Sexual Offending, J. Wiley & Sons, and with Dr Leam Craig and Professor Kevin Browne, Assessment and treatment of Sex Offenders: A Handbook, Wiley-Blackwell.

About the authors.
Preface.
BACKGROUND, DEVELOPMENTAL FRAMEWORKS AND PREDICTIVE ACCURACY.
1. Characteristics of Sexual Offenders.
2. Developmental Frameworks and Functional Analysis.
3. Methodological Considerations in Measuring Predictive Accuracy.
STATIC RISK FACTORS.
4. Static Factors Associated with Sexual Recidivism.
5. Actuarial and Clinically Guided Measures.
DYNAMIC RISK FACTORS.
6. Dynamic Factors Associated with Sexual Recidivism.
7. Treatment and Sexual Recidivism.
STRUCTURING RISK ASSESSMENT.
8. Aetiology and Risk.
POLICY AND PRACTICE.
9. Implementing Risk Management Policy.
10. Improving Risk Assessment Estimates.
11. Strengths Based Approaches to Risk Assessment.