A large number of studies have aimed at outlining the personality profile of Sex Offenders; however, due to the heterogeneousness of such crime and their perpetrators, this task is very difficult. This study attempts to highlight the different types of Sex Offenders, their personality profiles, their possible defence mechanisms, their possible mechanisms of moral disengagement. This study also attempts to analyse the possible areas of rehabilitation, in order to facilitate social reintegration and prevent recidivism.

Subjects of this study are male prisoners detained in a special section of the district penitentiary in Velletri (Rome, Italy). All subjects (N=8) were convicted of sexual crimes towards children and/or women. Their mean age is 50,7. Prisoners on remand were not included in this study.

The adopted tools are: a Grid for collecting the anamnesis and the information regarding the crime; the Big Five Questionnaire; the Sesamo.

Data are still being processed; therefore, results and conclusions of the study will be presented at the 9th Congress of the European Federation of Sexology.