Accounting for the ‘invisibility’ of the female paedophile: an expert-based perspective from South Africa

Abstract

Female child sex offenders are, for the most part, invisible within the existing body of scholarly literature. Additionally, female child sexual offenders are met with disbelief by the public and there are rarely legal consequences for their actions. However, the few studies reporting on female child sexual interest reveal that up to a quarter of reported child sexual abuse cases may involve female perpetrators. This figure implies a discrepancy between the statistical presence of female offenders and their apparent absence as objects of research and public engagement. Taking this discrepancy as its starting point, this study explores perceptions of female child sex offenders with a focus on the paedophile as a possible subtype, by key South African professionals working in the field of child sexual abuse. This study found that the participants all held contradicting ideas and beliefs about such an offender's psychological profile and the appropriate legal consequences for female child sexual abuse perpetration. Significantly, the participants highlighted the relative absence of treatment and rehabilitation for female sexual offenders and paedophiles. These findings call for greater awareness of female child sex offenders and the specific type of female paedophile by scholars, mental health professionals and the public more broadly.

Uncovering Female Child Sexual Offenders—Needs and Challenges for Practice and Research

“…As mentioned, there seems to be a marked resistance in the general public and the health care system to detect FCSO [19]. Historically, the same kind of resistance was documented for the acceptance and awareness of men who sexually abuse children [74].…”

“…One possible explanation for this phenomenon is that child sexual abuse committed by women seems to be a powerful social taboo [18]. Therefore, there is a marked resistance against the disclosure of FCSO [19] even among professionals in the health care and justice system [20]. In order to encourage the disclosure of FCSO, enhance the thematic research, and improve the quality of child protection and prevention, we deem it particularly necessary for clinicians and researchers in the field of sexual health to overcome this taboo.…”

Gendered Perceptions of Child Sexual Abusers: The Paradox of the “Vulnerable Other”

“…Pedophilia may be defined as a “persistent sexual interest in prepubescent children, as reflected by one’s sexual fantasies, urges, thoughts, arousal, or behaviour” (Seto, 2009, p. 392). Although pedophilia has traditionally been characterized as a disorder exclusive to men, a small body of evidence suggests that female pedophiles also exist (Kramer & Bowman, 2011).…”

Surfacing (im)possible victims: A critical review of the role of gender, sexuality and power in constructing the conditions of possibility for South African victims of female sex crimes

“…The few studies that have been conducted by Kramer (2010Kramer ( , 2011 have investigated FSA from the perspectives of both South African academic, legal and mental health care professionals and the female sex abusers themselves. Kramer and Bowman's (2011) study demonstrated that South African mental health professionals, academics and police workers cannot yet fully conceive of a woman that sexually offends, and consequently incarcerated South African female sex abusers receive light sentences and very little rehabilitation. This has the effect of ensuring that FSA continues to be unthinkable, even by the abusers themselves, and as a result there is little support for the abusers and the victims (Kramer, 2011).…”