Female Sex Offenders

Sex Crimes is an issue that is on ever parents mind, they watch were their kids at all times and worry about everyone who is around their child at all times. One of the biggest stereotypes of child sexual offenses is that all offenders are men and that is not the truth.

The majority of attention on sex crimes focuses on men as the offenders; an increased awareness of females as sex offenders has surfaced in recent years. Highly publicized cases involving inappropriate and illegal sexual contact between female high school teachers and their male students are a primary source of this growing attention. These cases are not representative of the full nature or scope of sexual abuse committed by females, however, and they have the potential to promote myths and misperceptions about the broader issue of female-perpetrated sex crimes.

A research done by Snyder and Sickmund in 2006 says that females are responsible for 3% of forcible rape cases, 5% of other violent sex offenses, and 19% of non-violent sex offenses. Nationwide approximately 140,000 men are incarcerated for sex offenses and only 1,500 are estimated to be imprisoned for these offenses.

Are Female Sex Offenders Different Than Males?

Just like all other crime suspects both male and female offenders have very similar features. They both show poor coping skills, relationship difficulties, cognitive distortions, and victim empathy deficits.
Even though they have things in common there are differences such as females are more likely to have a victimization history, females more likely to offend with a co-operating male offender, females more likely to offend in care giving situations, females are more likely to forcibly rape someone of the own sex rather than opposite sex

The treatment for female sex offenders is very similar to the treatment program for males. The only differences are they try harder to establish a trusting relationship, promote autonomy, develop a positive self-conception, and try harder to reduce self destructive behaviors.

The community supervision after the release is very similar to that of a released male offender. They both must register under Megans Law and must also report to all authorities in the surrounding area.

In all the surfacing of female sex offenders is showing society that all stereotypes are not 100% correct and the treatment and punishment should not just be built around males but also around females.





References:
Center for Sex Offender Management
Female Sex Offenders, March 2007

Female Sex Offenders
http://www.healing4women.com/media/Female%20Sex%20Offenders%20-%20Duncan%202007.pdf