Female-perpetrated sexual abuse: a review of victim and professional perspectives

Clements, Hannah; Dawson, David L.; Nair, Roshan das

doi:10.1080/13552600.2013.798690

Cited by 42 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 31 publications

(93 reference statements)

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“…The understudied nature of female child sexual offenders may be attributable to a number of reasons. One reason is that the general population does not perceive females as potentially destructive sexual aggressors (Clements, Dawson and Das Nair 2014). Regarding the incapability of a female to sexually offend against a child, Mathis (1972: 54) stated "That she might seduce a helpless child into sexplay is unthinkable, and even if she did so, what harm can be done without a penis?"…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The New Portrayal of Female Child Sexual Offenders in the Print Media: A Qualitative Content Analysis

Christensen

2017

Sexuality & Culture

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Word count: 6594 [abstract, main text, footnotes and references] The new portrayal of female child sexual offenders in the print media: A qualitative content analysis The mass media has the ability to shape public opinion on child sexual offenders. To date, research has found that offenses committed by female child sexual offenders have been portrayed in the media with undertones of sympathy and romanticization. With the apparent shift in gender roles toward gender egalitarianism, the aim of the present study was to obtain an up-to-date understanding of how female child sexual offenders are portrayed in the print media across western countries. The study utilized newspaper articles involving female child sexual offenders, published in English across western countries from 2012 to 2016 (N = 35 articles). A qualitative content analysis revealed two major themes: female child sexual offenders are dangerous and they are accountable for their actions. The findings of the current study are positive and shed light on the potential advancement of the reporting of female child sexual offenders in the print media at an international level.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The New Portrayal of Female Child Sexual Offenders in the Print Media: A Qualitative Content Analysis

Christensen

2017

Sexuality & Culture

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“…Professionals' views about the seriousness and impact of CSA committed by women differ from those of victims and survivors: professionals typically consider it to be less serious and harmful than male-perpetrated CSA, and this affects the recognition and level of support that victims and survivors receive (Clements et al, 2014).…”

Section: Gendermentioning

confidence: 99%

Key messages from research on child sexual abuse perpetrated by adults

Brown¹

2020

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Who sexually abuses children? We do not know how many adults sexually abuse children, but it is clear that there are more than official figures show, and that large numbers of individuals are engaging with CSA images. Most contact CSA is perpetrated by a person whom the child knows and trusts. Almost all individuals convicted of CSA are men, but perpetration by women may be more common than official data suggests. Perpetrators come from all walks of life, and ethnicity is not a predictor of CSA perpetration. What are the pathways to CSA offending? There are likely to be a number of different and complex pathways into CSA offending. Most adult perpetrators of CSA do not have extensive criminal histories or criminal lifestyles. The great majority of victims of CSA do not go on to commit CSA themselves; however, those who commit CSA are more likely than other adults to have experienced multiple forms of abuse as children, including physical, domestic or sexual abuse, and neglect. Social and cultural practices, as well as institutional and environmental settings, can provide a context for CSA to take place. Offences occur mostly in contexts of ordinary social interactions. Situations and locations can present individuals with opportunities to offend, and/or exert social pressure or weaken their moral restraints, leading to CSA. First offences often take place at times of depression, anxiety and stress for the perpetrator. What interventions are effective? Most individuals convicted of sexual offences, including CSA, are not reconvicted of further sexual offences. Few women and men convicted of online offences are reconvicted for sexual reoffences. It should be noted, however, that most CSA does not come to the attention of the authorities. Evidence is lacking regarding the effectiveness of programmes used in the UK to address sexual offending, particularly those specific to CSA; for example, current trauma-informed programmes used in the UK and based on the Good Lives Model have not yet been evaluated. The Core sex offender treatment programme in the UK was replaced after it was shown not to reduce sexual reoffending; however, individuals who completed similar programmes in other countries had lower rates of sexual reoffending than comparable individuals who did not. In the USA, Circles of Support and Accountability (CoSA) have been found to lead to fewer sexual reconvictions. Studies in other countries have shown that CoSA can help individuals released from prison to integrate into communities, which is associated with reducing reoffending. Providing interventions for individuals at risk of committing CSA is also important, as they may struggle with their sexual thoughts for some years before committing an offence, and many seek help prior to offending. Our 'Key messages from research' papers aim to provide succinct, relevant information for frontline practitioners and commissioners. They bring together the most up-to-date research into an accessible overview, supporting confident provision of the best possible resp...

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“…Furthermore, many types of female-on-male victimization, particularly when the offense involves sexual victimization, are minimized (Clements, Dawson, and Das Nair 2013;Davies 2002) or considered benign events without immediate or long-lasting consequences for the victims (Davies 2002;Hetherton T.N. Richards and J.A.…”

Section: Perpetrator-victim Gender Patterns and The Development Of Scmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Notwithstanding the substantiation that male perpetration of violence and exploitation occurs more frequently than female perpetration, there still are costs and consequences experienced by the victims, whether they are male or female and whether the perpetrator is male or female (Clements, Dawson, and Das Nair 2013). Both male and female victims of childhood sexual abuse (CSA), regardless of whether the abuse was perpetrated by a male or female, report problems trusting others, low self-esteem, feelings of shame and stigmatization, and distorted cognitions triggering beliefs that they are not worthy of healthy relationships but rather deserve further abuse (Clements, Dawson, and Das Nair 2013).…”

Section: Perpetrator-victim Gender Patterns and The Development Of Scmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Both male and female victims of childhood sexual abuse (CSA), regardless of whether the abuse was perpetrated by a male or female, report problems trusting others, low self-esteem, feelings of shame and stigmatization, and distorted cognitions triggering beliefs that they are not worthy of healthy relationships but rather deserve further abuse (Clements, Dawson, and Das Nair 2013). Both male and female rape victims may also experience self-blame, shame, depression, anxiety, sexual dysfunction, and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (Davies 2002;Fisher and Pina 2013).…”

Section: Perpetrator-victim Gender Patterns and The Development Of Scmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Gender stereotyping and sex trafficking: comparative review of research on male and female sex tourism

Richards

Reid

2015

Journal of Crime and Justice

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Within the growing body of scholarly research focused on sex trafficking, the existence of male victims is not often acknowledged. Current understanding of sex trafficking overlooks exploitation of male victims by restricting the phenomenon to a single exploiter-exploited gender pattern, that of males exploiting females. This comparative review aims to broaden this construction by focusing on the small but emerging phenomenon of female sex tourism in Caribbean countries that features a transposed exploiter-exploited gender pattern. Results of the review describe female sex tourists and male sex workers as well as the dynamics of their liaisons and compare these with the more typical and exploitive depictions used by scholarly researchers to describe male sex tourism. In addition, existing theoretical orientations used to understand sex work and sex trafficking, specifically applied to sex tourism, are examined. Lastly, recommendations are presented urging advancement of scholarly research toward understanding the evolving dynamics of sex tourism in regard to gender, race, and class.

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Female-perpetrated sexual abuse: a review of victim and professional perspectives

Cited by 42 publications

References 31 publications

The New Portrayal of Female Child Sexual Offenders in the Print Media: A Qualitative Content Analysis

The New Portrayal of Female Child Sexual Offenders in the Print Media: A Qualitative Content Analysis

Key messages from research on child sexual abuse perpetrated by adults

Gender stereotyping and sex trafficking: comparative review of research on male and female sex tourism

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