In this essay, two theories specifically focused on sexual offenses against children are compared and critically evaluated. Finkelhor's (1984) preconditions model incorporates four underlying factors that could explain the occurrence of child sexual abuse and categorizes them into four preconditions: motivation to offend, overcoming internal inhibitors, overcoming external inhibitors and the overcoming of the child's resistance which occur in a temporal sequence where each is necessary for the development of the other. The Precondition model provides a framework for assessing child molesters, but is criticized for its lack of etiological explanations and little attention to cognitive factors. Ward's (2003) Pathways model suggests that the clinical phenomena evident in child sex offenders are generated by four distinct and interacting mechanisms: deficits in intimacy and social skills, distorted sexual scripts, emotional dysregulation, and cognitive distortions, where each mechanism generates a specific criminal path. Both theories have been instrumental in determining treatment goals and clinical evaluation of child sex offenders. Finkelhor's (1984) precondition model is widely recognized in the literature as a revolutionary theory in that it represents the first attempt to integrate multifactorial factors. explanations to explain sexual offenses against children (Howell, 1994; Marshal, 1996; Ward and Hudson, 1998). Finkelhor (1984) argues that pedophilia is a complex phenomenon caused by various psychological, sociological and cultural factors. In order to explain the differences between perpetrators as well as the situational aspects of the offense, Finkelhor (1984) proposes four prerequisites that must be met in cases of multiple mechanisms of dysfunction, or "pure" pedophiles – those who have a primary sexual interest in children, comprised of individuals who represent elements of all of the pathways discussed above: deviant sexual scripts; distorted ideas about children's sexuality; intimacy deficits and; dysfunctional emotional regulation. Ward and Siegert (2002) argue that their attempt to build on existing theoretical work such as Finkelhor's (1984) precondition model, the Pathway model constitutes an obvious multifactorial theory in that it addresses psychological, contextual and biological in its claim that vulnerability to sexual offense against a child arises from various learning, cultural and psychological variables. Both models mentioned above have some clinical utility and can be used in the assessment and treatment of child molesters..