The relationship between socially desirable responding and offence characteristics is examined with 49 rapists. Socially desirable responding (SDR) was measured by the Balanced Inventory of Desirable Responding. Offence characteristics included: (a) perpetrator's relationship to the victim; (b) severity of victim injury; and (c) victim's age. Greater victim injury was associated with lower Impression Management (r = -.27, p < .03) and Denial scores (r = -.32, p < .01). No significant relationship occurred between offence characteristics and the self-deceptive scales of Denial of the Negative and Over Confident Rigidity. Alternative to the underreporting hypothesis, self-presentation and the acquisition of socially appropriate skills may explain the SDR/violence relationship.