What Is So Special About Female Sexual Offenders? Introduction to the Special Issue on Female Sexual Offenders

Cortoni, Franca

doi:10.1177/1079063214564392

Cited by 20 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…Despite the intellectual resistance in recognizing the existence of sexual crimes perpetrated by women, since the late 1980s the interest in female sexual offenders (FSOs) has gradually increased . Despite the growing research effort however, knowledge about women who commit sexual offenses is still in its infancy compared to that of their male counterpart.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Child Sexual Abuse Perpetrated by Women: Case Series and Review of the Literature

Curti

Lupariello

Coppo

et al. 2019

Journal of Forensic Sciences

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The literature on child sexual abuse (CSA) perpetrated by female sexual offenders (FSOs) is exiguous, and many studies have focused on judicial databases. The present retrospective study, instead, analyzed clinical and judicial data of a group of both victims and alleged FSOs, to additionally include women who have not been convicted by the criminal justice system, but who hold strong clinical suspicions of being perpetrators of CSA. The medical records and the Court files of 11 children and their eight suspected FSOs have been collected and critically reviewed in light of the literature to date. This approach allowed for a deeper understanding of the relationship between child and FSO. The authors hypothesize that the victims’ severe psychopathological outcomes were a result of a failure to develop appropriate attachments with their prospective caregivers, which could have been damaged by the pathological relationship with FSOs, who were the victims’ caregivers.

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confidence: 99%

Child Sexual Abuse Perpetrated by Women: Case Series and Review of the Literature

Curti

Lupariello

Coppo

et al. 2019

Journal of Forensic Sciences

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“…The presence of psychosis within this population does not appear to be different than men; however, this statement is made with caution as the literature on female sex offenders is in its infancy, with further research needed to validate findings. Because the majority of sex offender research has been conducted on males, it is critical to understand potential distinguishing features among female sex offenders and to apply understanding and principles of male sex offenders to females with caution (Cortoni, 2015).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…There does not appear to be a significant difference between psychotic spectrum disorders among female sex offenders and those females engaged in other nonsexually violent offending. This, however, should be interpreted with caution as the literature on female sex offenders is limited, with the majority of empirically based studies being conducted only within the past 5 to 10 years (Cortoni, 2015).…”

Section: Female Offendersmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Despite the growth in sex offender research over the past several decades, scientific understanding of sex offenders with psychotic disorders and treatment considerations for these individuals remain limited (Booth & Gulati, 2014;Cortoni, 2015;Craig, 2011;Craissati & Hodes, 1992). Based on what is available, a personalized approach to treatment for sex offenders with psychotic disorders is suggested with particular emphasis on aspects of the psychotic disorder that could limit the individual's ability to participate effectively in treatment.…”

Section: Treatment Considerationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Psychosis and Sexual Offending: A Review of Current Literature

Lewis

Dwyer

2017

Int J Offender Ther Comp Criminol

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Sexual offending is a public health concern and societal risk requiring a multi-disciplinary approach. While current data give an indication of the frequency of sexual victimization, these figures likely underestimate the severity of the concern as many of these incidents go unreported. And while sex offender research has increased over the past several decades, particular attention to those offenders with severe mental illness remains limited. In this descriptive review, literature describing sex offenders with psychotic disorders is explored with a focus on recent research. Important considerations are described, including theories surrounding psychosis and sexual offending, hospitalization rates, recidivism, not guilty by reason of insanity (NGRI), female offenders, and treatment considerations. By exploring these important aspects of sex offenders with psychosis, conclusions are drawn and future directions are proposed, with a particular emphasis on clinical application for the mental health treatment provider.

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“…This lack of interest is due to various reasons, such as the assumption that females do not commit sexual crimes, the low prevalence of these types of crimes in females, and the belief that sex offenses committed by females are less harmful (Oliver and Holmes, 2015). As Cortoni (2015) noted, offending by females is not a new phenomenon and belittlement of these criminal acts is outdated. Despite the belief that sexual offending behavior is less common in female compared to male juveniles, Slotboom et al (2011) found that female and male adolescents reported similar rates of sexual aggression against other people.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mental Health Problems in Girls Who Committed Sexual Offenses: Similarities and Differences Compared to Girls With Non-sex Offenses and Boys With Sex Offenses

Manetsch¹,

Aguiar

Hermann³

et al. 2021

Front. Psychol.

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Female juvenile offenders have only recently shifted into the focus of research. Moreover, a specific subgroup, female juveniles who sexually offended (JSO) are greatly overlooked. Therefore, there is a dearth of knowledge regarding the characteristics of female JSOs. The aim of the current study was to explore mental health problems (MHP) of female JSOs in more detail. Moreover, we compared their mental health with female juveniles who committed non-sexual offenses (JNSOs) and male JSOs. The sample comprised 33 female JSOs (Mean age 14.5, SD 1.8), 33 age-matched female JNSOs, and 33 age-matched male JSOs. We used the Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument-version 2 to examine MHP. Although both internalizing and externalizing MHP were not uncommon in female JSOs, they reported fewer problems than female JNSOs. No differences were found between female and male JSOs. With regard to their mental health profile, female JSOs resemble male JSOs more than female JNSOs. These results should be taken into account in the assessment and treatment of this group. However, more research is needed.

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What Is So Special About Female Sexual Offenders? Introduction to the Special Issue on Female Sexual Offenders

Cited by 20 publications

References 13 publications

Child Sexual Abuse Perpetrated by Women: Case Series and Review of the Literature

Child Sexual Abuse Perpetrated by Women: Case Series and Review of the Literature

Psychosis and Sexual Offending: A Review of Current Literature

Mental Health Problems in Girls Who Committed Sexual Offenses: Similarities and Differences Compared to Girls With Non-sex Offenses and Boys With Sex Offenses

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