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

Dr. John Grohol is the CEO and founder of Psych Central. He is an author, researcher and expert in mental health online, and has been writing about online behavior, mental health and psychology issues -- as well as the intersection of technology and human behavior -- since 1992. Dr. Grohol sits on the editorial board of the journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking and is a founding board member and treasurer of the Society for Participatory Medicine.

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    Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 14 May 2008
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