A new study from the University of Georgia is one of the first to look at a large sample of female child molesters. The findings? Not surprising, the researchers found that many of them were themselves victims of sexual abuse as children.
Female sex offenders are rarely studied. In fact, many people don’t even believe women are capable of the same kinds of acts that are more common amongst men. We don’t know the exact prevalence of female sex offenders amongst sex offenders, but researchers estimate it may be approximately five to seven percent (approx. 95% of sex crimes are committed by men).
Strickland’s study, the largest of its kind, surveyed 130 incarcerated females — 60 of which were sex offenders and 70 of which were nonsexual offenders - and examined factors such as childhood trauma, substance abuse, emotional neediness and personality disorders. While the majority of both groups reported being the victims of childhood maltreatment, the sex offenders were significantly more likely to experience pervasive, serious and more frequent emotional abuse, physical abuse and neglect.
“We’ve pretty much known that the majority of women in prison have had bad childhoods and that many suffered childhood sexual abuse,” the researchers said. “But the subgroup of female sex offenders has suffered significantly more abuse, particularly sexual abuse.”
This has implications for early intervention programs to help prevent such victims from becoming abusers themselves. If such victims can be identified earlier on and offered a treatment program, it may help break the heartbreaking cycle of abuse.
Read the full article: Study: Most female child molesters were victims of sexual abuse
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5 Comments to
“Female Sex Offenders Likely Themselves Victims of Abuse”
When I started to read this, my reaction was, “So this is news?” then I realized that the “study-ers” had identified differences between women offenders and men, the reasons, and that victims and acts themselves are often different.
If I read this correctly, it also suggests that therapy for women could also be different, with more help to become emotionally mature enough to develop normal and healthy relationships. More emphasis on what to do instead of what not to do. I hope so, anyway.
Less related to the article, so I thought a second post would be better.
We have gone too far in coming up with “more acceptable” words and labels. Abuse in this context is one of them. We abuse privileges, abuse someone’s willingness to help, abuse employment benefits, like calling in sick to go to a baseball game. There is no such thing as sexual abuse.
Children who are sexually violated, rape victims, people who have perverted acts forced on them - they are not “sexually abused.” They are sexually assaulted or attacked, many of them with extreme violence.
The word “abuse” is so broad and so diluted by overuse that the crimes themselves have become unimportant, especially domestic crimes. The local doggie-dress-up contest gets front page, “sexual abuse” is Section D, page 3, under police blotter calls.
When the severity of a crime is diminished, so is the guilt, damage and devastation that it caused. “Get over it” becomes a remedy.
The problems I have with reports of offenders being victims in the past is that it seems to sugar coat what crimes they committed and sexism. A local crime blog I go to seems to show that male sex offenders get worse sentences than female sex offenders. For example, a male teacher having sex with a student will get instant prison terms whereas a female teacher will get a couple or few chances, depending how easily swayed the judge is.
So, while coming up with plans for therapy to prevent such atrocities is great does it apply for everyone?
There are also studies that show that most men in prison for sexual child abuse were also abused as a child. So, where is the difference.
Just as there are males that were abused that commit these crimes there are also males that were abused that do not. Similarly, there are women who where sexually abused that do not abuse.
While the indications of this report are clear, the report itself may be suspect as many are realizing the vast difference in sentencing between men and women.
No way are you serious, suprise suprise.
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Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 14 May 2008
