Female Sex Offenders

Anna C. Salter, Ph.D..

Rediscovering Female Sexual Offending

Petronius (27 66 AD) describes the rape of a 7-year-old girl while women stood 7-yeararound the bed clapping. (De Mause, 2008) Mause,

Between 1874 & 1884 in France, 181 women were convicted of molesting children. (Bernard, 1886)

Women sexually abuse more frequently than most believe More cases than come to attention of authorities (Gibb, 1894)

Freud disclosed he was sexually abused by his nurse (Masson, 1985)

24 cases of Women who sexually abused children Most were solo offenders (Wulffen, 1934)

6-year-old boy yearSexually abused by mother At least some cooperation by the child in the activity (Bender and Blau, 1937)

Analyzing Bellevue Hospital records Many known cases of female sexual offenders Very few charges or sanctions (Apfelberg, Sugar & Pfeffer, 1944)

That she might seduce a helpless child into sex play is unthinkable, and even if she did so, what harm could be done without a penis. (Mathis, 1972, p. 54)

Prevalence of Female Sexual Offending by Victimization Studies

Study Finkelhor, 1984 NSPCC, 2004 NSPCC, 2007 Girls Abused by Women % 5 4 5 Boys Abused by Women % 20 37 44

How Many Victims Overall?

Female Victims  23% females abused as children  5% of those have female offenders  Equals 1.5 million female victims & Male Victims  6.75% of males abused as children  20% of those have female offenders  Equals 1.6 million male victims (Allen, 1991)

Child Care Cases

Faller (1988) Williams & Farrell (1990) Finkelhor (1988) Margolin (1991) 2% female alone 50% m. & f. 38% 40% 16% (Hislop, 2001) Hislop,

  

Incarceration of Female Vs Male Sex Offenders

Men incarcerated for sex crimes 140,000 Women incarcerated for sex crimes 1500 (Harrison & Beck, 2005)

Gender Bias in Professionals

Same Vignettes Some male perp Some female perp Police officers CPS (Hetherton & Beardsall, 1998) Beardsall,

Gender Bias in Professionals

Both groups

Registration and incarceration more appropriate if offender male

(Hetherton & Beardsall, 1998) +

More Gender Bias

Psychiatrists Police Both viewed sexual abuse by women as less harmful than abuse by men Tried to transform female offender and offense to minimize (Denov, 2001)

Held Accountable?
N = 83 2 received sentences 1 of those was community service Burned, pinched, beat, bit the breasts or genitals, restrained with straps and ties during assaults (Ramsey-Klawsnik, (Ramsey-Klawsnik, 1990)

Sentencing Differences
Females Average sentence Sentence < 5 yrs Between 5 and 9 yrs  10 yrs 2.8 yrs 83% 12% 5% Males 5.5 yrs 50% 22% 27% (Vandiver, 2006)

Sentencing Differences
No contact with minors No contact with victim or victims family Tx or Evaluation Males 71% Females 53%

86% 68% 66% 24% (Aylward et al., 2002)

Societal Denial
A respected child psychiatrist recently dismissed as an obvious fabrication and a physical impossibility the account of a 7-year-old boy who had described to his yearteacher how his mother had taken him to bed and placed his willy in her fanny and used her son as a masturbatory implement. (Wilkins, 1990, p. 1153)

Victim Reports Maternal Abuse

Medicated for her delusion  Sought therapy; sent back to psychiatrist  Later therapist it was actually her father, not mother  Third therapist false memories implanted by previous therapists (Saradjian & Hanks, 1996)


Other Victims of Female Abuse



Therapist cried at report Silence from a therapist Had to change therapists until found one that believed her Hadnt she confused the experience with something else? Referred to different therapist (Saradjian & Hanks, 1996)

How Many Are Believed?

N = 80 70% told no one as children Of those who did, 21% believed (Mitchell & Morse, 1998)

Offender Confession


   

Women told physician sexually abusing daughter Referred to psychiatrist Diagnosed as psychotic and prescribed meds Child never interviewed or referred 2 years later ex-husband investigated for exabusing daughter Mother admitted she was the abuser (Gannon & Cortoni, 2010)

Saradjian Study of Female Offenders

N = 50 perpetrators 36 controls Criteria Admissions Substantiated case 49 of 50 (Saradjian, 1996)

Sample Characteristics
Social Class Education & IQ Race Employment All Homeless to aristocracy 6 university degrees 4 borderline IQ All Caucasian Most short term, unskilled (Saradjian, 1996)

Types

 Independent

Victims < 6 Adolescent Victims

 Independent

 Initially

Coerced

Typologies


Independent victims < 6 Teacher/Lover Initially Coerced

N = 14 N = 10 N = 12

(Saradjian, 1996)

Mean Age Gap Between Women & Victims

Victims A B C <6 Ages 11 - 17 Coerced by Male Age Gap in Years 18 16.6 18.5 (Saradjian, 1996)

What Difference Did the Type Make?

Sexual Motivations
All offender groups: Sex with adults negative but met some need Sex rated positively (Saradjian, 1996)

Controls

Victims Young Children Motivations

Positive physical experience All Power and control All Wanted to hurt them 9 Merger 8 Feel loved 8 (Saradjian, 1996)

Having sex with my sons was more enjoyable than having sex with a man and that was because I had some control over what was going to happen. (Matthews et al., 1990, p. 206)

I was sexually aroused . . . Felt very powerful. (Matthews et al., 1990, p. 206)

Fusion

Merger
She wanted me to love her like her own mother did when she was little and sick. It makes me nauseated to think about it. She used me to maintain her own sick pleasure. I was mother, father, husband, sister, lover and friend to her when I needed a mother. (Rosencrans, 1997, p. 29)

Fusion
I was not a separate person to her. In her mind we were fused. (Rosencrans, 1997, p. 31)

Another thing has to do with identity. My moms needs dominated every aspect of my life and she saw me as an extension of her. As an adult, at age 35, I am just beginning to differentiate myself and find my own likes/dislikes and talents. (Rosencrans, 1997, p. 32)

I became an unwanted, unacceptable, despicable, rejected part of my mother. I believe she projected onto me a view/experience of herself as a bad child that she formed in response to her physically abusive father and rejecting mother. . . She projected her self-loathing onto me: I became selfthe ugly, worthless, death-deserving one. death(Rosencrans, 1997, p. 125)

Intrusiveness
Ages 3 24
      

Fondled her breasts, anus & other areas Repeated enemas Watched while made to strip Made her put on sexy nightgown Watched her bathe and shower Watcher her masturbate Watched her insert tampons (Rosencrans, 1997)

Made to watch her mother dress & undress go to the bathroom expose herself Made to sleep with and her mother dress (Rosencrans, 1997)

Fusion
I never got to be me. Find out who, what, when, where, why I was. She did more than sex. (Rosencrans, 1997, p. 30)

I feel totally swallowed up by her; I see her, smell her, feel her breath on my body. (Saradjian, 1996, p. 11)

Responses to Fusion
One woman Large amounts of plastic surgery To look different from mom

Fusion
It was part of an overall relationship in which I was allowed no boundaries or identity. I feel like she sucked my brains out with a soda straw so she could fill me with her own identity. (Rosencrans, 1997, p. 151)

Maternal Introjects
Theres a woman who lives inside my body/mind who is NOT part of the comprehensive/entity called Karen . . . This woman who shares [my] body bears my mothers name. (Rosencrans, 1997, p 154)

Fear of Dependence
[I have a] fear of dependency on others. [I] fear needing people and fear abandonment, or of feeling helpless, powerless, or trapped with no way out. (Rosencrans, 1997, p. 158)

Who was the Mother?



Child is the mother No ?

83% 9% 7%

(Rosencrans, 1997)

Fear of Mother Dying

I used to worry about this all the time and her death was extremely traumatic for me. I never made the connection its fusion! (Rosencrans, 1997, p. 32)

Violence

Violence
My mother threatened to burn my hair/me if I did not comply. I was given beer to drink. I was beaten and there were threats I would be burned if I wasnt quiet. Sometimes I was slightly burned on the butt with lit cigarettes. I learned not to cry and to stop screaming. (Rosencrans, 1997, p. 111)

I have never had any sexual contact with my mother that was not violent and painful and full of rage on her part. (Rosencrans, 1997, p. 112)

It was always when she were angry but I never knew what made her angry. . . It were as if she wanted to tear me apart inside. Shed sometimes grab whatever were nearest to her and come at me. Shed insert anything into me down there, sometimes it were all her fingers, shed push them at me really hard, sometimes it were a bottle neck or a brush handle, once or twice it were a knife and once rose stems. That were awful.

I often bled but she never took me to the hospital or anything. I bled so often that when I started my periods I didnt realise, I realise, just thought it were more bleeding from what shed done. Infancy until 12 (ran away) (Saradjian, 1996, p. 14)

Impact


Frequent admissions to psychiatric hospitals Severe depression Repeated overdoses Frequent self-mutilation of arms, legs & selfvagina Multiple drug addiction

Some degree of violence

65% (Rosencrans, 1997)

Sadistic Acts
56% of 82 women (Saradjian, 2010)

Disclosure
 Attempts

to tell in childhood

5% 3%

 Did

tell to tell

 Threatened

2%

(Rosencrans, 1997, p. 39)

Sadistic Abuse/Seductive
No correlation with type of childhood sexual abuse Most severely emotionally abused Became sadists

Victims Young Children Motivations

All had sexual thoughts of children All experienced arousal Few called it arousal Unable to identify emotional states Feelings in terms of sensations (Saradjian, 1996)

Teacher/Lover Group

Motivations
Group B: Victims Adolescents Romanticized relationship Frequent sexual thoughts 80% masturbated to thoughts Equal in every way Victims instigators (Saradjian, 1996)

We had an affair, a love affair. Isnt that ridiculous? Im 40 years old! And I had an affair with a 14-year-old kid, which is 14-yeartotally ridiculous. And I was in love not I loved him but in love! (Matthews et al., 1990, p.209)

Coerced & Accompanied Offenders

Motivations
Group C Initially coerced by male perps

Negative feelings during sex w/ child Give pleasure, bonding with male (Saradjian, 1996)

I wasnt a whole person unless there was somebody else with me. Thats pretty much what its been like for a long time. There had to be a male in my life, otherwise I would think I was nobody. (Matthews et al., 1990, p. 212)

Why Offenders Participated CoCo-Offenders

Threats Abandonment Death 24% 15%

(David, Hislop & Dunbar, 1999)

I didnt want my husband to leave me. I didnt want to be alone. He always threatened to leave; Do what I say. (Matthews et al., 1990, p. 205)

Motivations
Group C Initially coerced by male perps N = 12 12 9 3 (Saradjian, 1996)

Thoughts of sex with children Arousal or neutral Repulsive

Motivations
Subgroup of C: Initially coerced, later alone N=7 Power and control Hurt someone (Saradjian, 1996)

Older man Felt loved for the first time in her life He wanted more spice in their sex lives Agreed to get a 15-year-old to join in 15-yearJealous & angry

He suggested abduction & sexual torture Readily agreed Loved it 1 year later still turned on thinking about it Wanted to do it again

Other Crimes
Coerced and Accompanied More nonsexual crimes Than solo offenders (Vandiver, 2006)

Acting Alone vs. With Other

 Acting

Alone with Other

71% 29%

 Acting

(Bespalec, unpublished) Bespalec,

Severity of Abuse

Insertion into Orifices

Vagina
 Fingers

Rectum 34% 51%

46% 38%

 Objects

(Rosencrans, 1997)

Sadism
When she wanted to do it do me, shed say he told her to and I could never really be sure whether he had or not. She used to threaten me that. . . If I told anyone what was going on . . . Id be in for it and it was really, really bad. Id had it before and I never wanted to ever feel that bad again. The more I hurt the faster shed come . . . she knew just how to hurt me and I knew that shed really get off on getting him to hurt me . . . I never would have told because I was just too scared. (Saradjian, 1996, p. 36)

Objects Inserted
Enema equipment, sticks, candles, vibrators, pencils, keys, hairbrushes, hairbrush handles, light bulbs, soapy wash cloths, wooden spoons, various fruits and vegetables, knives, scissors, lit cigarettes, sock darning tools, surgical knives, hair rollers, religious metals, vacuum cleaner parts, goldfish (Rosencrans, 1997)

Main Motivations for Offending

 Sexual

gratification  Sadistic sexual gratification  Intimacy  Fusion  Money  Vengeance  Power & control

Age It Began

Average Age It Began 3.2 yrs old (Rosencrans, 1997)

Age It Ended

Average Age It Ended 17.3 yrs old (Rosencrans, 1997)

Age it Began and Ended

5 12 7 years


Once a week  36% (Denov, 2001)

Disclosure
Average time before disclosure 28 years (Rosencrans, 1997)

About a year ago I was at my mothers house. We were standing out by the pool and I had a swimming suit on. She stood there touching me, first my wrist, and then sneaky feels of my breasts and buttocks. My younger brother watched and talked with us. He didnt even notice what she was doing. Shes been doing that all our lives. We were so unconscious, myself included. I was 33 years old here. (Rosencrans, 1997, p. 79)

Preventing Disclosure

When I was very young, my mother used to drive all us kids out a lonely, isolated country road. Then shed drop some of my kittens out the door. Shed drive ahead, turn around, then drive back past the kittens crying on the road. This was called abandoning. Later she threatened that if I told anyone about any of the abuse, by anyone, Id be taken to an orphanage and never see my family again. I believed her. I knew how easy it was for her to abandon small, vulnerable creatures. (Rosencrans, 1997)

Sister disclosed sexual abuse of Kevin, age 14 Questioned by a professional, Ive never seen a kid look so frightened. He actually wet himself. He became hysterical and babbled. He was convinced this was his end and his mother would now torture him to death. Abuse age 3 14 (Saradjian, 1996, p. 34)

Impact of Female Sexual Abuse

N = 14 7 m.; 7 f. Substance abuse SelfSelf-injury Suicidal ideation Suicide attempts Depression Rage

     

57% 36% 79% 55% 64% 100% (Denov, 2004)

Impact of Female Sexual Abuse

N = 14 7 m.; 7 f. Mistrust of women Discomfort with sex Fear of abusing children Abused children

   

100% 100% 86% 29% (Denov, 2004)

Isolation
Do you believe mother/daughter incest is more isolating than male/female incest is? Yes 75% No 5% Unsure 19%

(Rosencrans, 1997, p. 37)

Im constantly haunted by [the sexual abuse]. Its not something that just goes away, and I dont know how to put it behind me. Thats what Im trying to do. Its constantly remembering all the beatings, the washing, the sucking . . . [Its] part of my daily existence. (male victim in Denov, 2004)

Father attempted intercourse at 5 Had intercourse and oral sex with her until 11 The [sexual abuse] done by my father was the least invasive. . . . The abuse by the females [mother and grandmother] had far more of an effect on me than he did. . . .When looking at the big picture and the layers of hurt . . .out of all that happened to me, what my mother did was the absolute worse . . . far worse than what my father had done. (Denov, 2004, p. 1144)

Abused by male babysitter at 8 and a female babysitter at 10 There is a deeper sense of betrayal with a female perpetrator. Its like theres no safe place. How can a woman face a world that belittles and condemns us because were women . . . And still turn her hand against her own sex? Thats a bitter betrayal. (Denov, 2004, p. 1144)

I battle with self inflicted wounds. . . . When I was dealing with the sexual abuse, there were times when I was really considering cutting my penis off. . . . I didnt want to have a penis. I didnt want to be sexual. (Denov, 2004, p. 1146)

Suicidal
I was very suicidal in those days [when I was a church minister]. . . I had this obsessive fantasy of going to the pulpit and blowing out my brains across the altar. That was the anger that was my statement on life. (Denov, 2004, p. 1146)

Rage
I think that I still have so much rage. . . . What I want to do, and it satisfies me yet it scares me half to death, is slice [my mothers] throat and cut her tongue out, cut her eyes out and stab her until there is no life left in her. That is the frightening part. (Denov, 2004)

Rage


I would says that in my [sexual] fantasies, I was abusive toward women. For about 10 years, a lot of my fantasies were about power, control, and dominating women. . . . It was the only way I could have an orgasm. (Denov, 2004, p. 1148)

Did Not Want to be Female

I dont even want to have a distinguishably female form. . . . I just want to lose it all in fat. . . . I wear bulky clothing, I dress in mens clothes. Ill do anything to be, if not male, at least neutral. . . . I would be safest and be safe for other people if Im not female. . . .Being a woman is a large part of my identity, and its my biggest struggle. (Denov, 2004, p. 1148)

Discomfort with Sex

I cant make love because I feel dirty. . . .There was a point where [my wife] wanted a lot of sex, and I couldnt do it. . . .I felt really dirty and disgusted. After sex, I would take a bath and scrub down my skin. (Denov, 2004, p. 1150)

I know that my sexual stuff has really warped my ability to parent my daughter. Im afraid to be alone with my daughter. Its probably one of the most troubling components of my adult life. You know, Im good with her. But still, Im afraid [of sexually abusing her]. Im very afraid. It makes me spend less time with her than I think I normally would. (Denov, 2004, p. 1150

Fear of Abusing Children

Victim Age 23 Tubal ligation

Feeling afraid of my own children [girls]. I dont know if Im my mother and they are me sometimes. I feel so sorry for them I can hardly STOP myself from begging their forgiveness even though Ive been an excellent, kind mother to them. I feel as though my mother is inside me, trying to get out. That because I have been the repository of so much evil, I should probably never be around children even though I never have or would abuse them. (Saradjian & Hanks, 1996, p. 230)

Effects
Sexual promiscuity Sexually abused others as children as adults Hurt animals 35%

15% 3% 10%

Tortured animals 4% (Rosencrans, 1997)

Effects


Sexual Problems

82%

Impact
I [have] a fear or an inability to become or feel close to other women. (Rosencrans, 1997, p. 37)

I started drinking and taking drugs when I was 12. That helped the pain go away. . . . No one would believe me about all of the physical and sexual abuse, so when I took the drugs and alcohol, I didnt even have to believe it myself. (Denov, 2004)

Male Victims: Perceptions & Reality

abused by mothers More adjustment problems If had an initial positive or mixed perception of the abuse (Kelly et al., 2002)

Differences
N = 60 sex offenders; 70 nonsex offenders
  

Total childhood trauma Severity of sexual abuse suffered Social and sexual adequacy (Strickland, 2008)

Fathers

Fathers


He was absent from out home a lot. He typically left the house at 7 AM and returned home any time between 7 PM and midnight. He was preoccupied with professional concerns. (I dont know when) he began abusing alcohol and prescription drugs . . . He suffered(s) from severe, chronic depression and various somatic illnesses.

Fathers
However, the publics view of him was that he was highly successful, articulate, affable, bright, ethical, a concerned citizen, handsome, etc. At home he was mostly asleep! (Rosencrans, 1997, p. 70)

Fathers
All he wanted was peace in his home, an absence of conflict. I became his confidant when I was about 12 or 13, listening to him describe his depression and his suicidal ideation. (Rosencrans, 1997, p. 70)

Fathers
Hed leave when she became agitated. He left me to receive her rage and aggression. He was a first class, chicken shit coward. If he ever pushed back at her it was to save his own ass. (Rosencrans, 1997, p. 72)

Perpetrator Mom; Weak Father

50%

Both Parents Abusive

He is a rage-aholic, obsessed with guns, rage-aholic, withdrawn, authoritative, and abusive. My father also abused me physically, emotionally and sexually.

Father Absent
[My father was] not home during one five year period when the abuse was particularly overt. My father died when I was 8 years old. No one at home. My mothers husband, not my biological father, [was] usually 3,000 miles away. (Rosencrans, 1997, p. 71)

Father had intercourse with her before coerced wife into sex with child Told wife to 1. massage daughters breasts, 2. masturbate her 3. perform cunnilingus on her (Saradjian, 1996)

She got away with it because she said he beat up on her . .. Well he did but that werent no excuse . . . She were just pathetic . .. Weak . . . And I hate her. She let him do it to me and she did it too. It were disgusting . . . Really disgusting. I want her to die. . . What he did was bad, but Ill never forgive her. (Saradjian, 1996, p. 9)

I never did anything to the kids unless he was there . . . I was dead scared of him. . . It repulsed me as much as it repulsed them. I just cant understand the kids reaction, two of them wont talk to either of us, I understand that but the other two . . . John writes to him every week and he got Susan to go with him to see him in prison. . . Neither of them write to me, nor visit. I did get one letter. . . It was full of hatred. . . Yet they are willing to see him. (Saradjian, 1996, p. 10)

Hiding

I think it is important for people to realize that perfectly loving and seemingly wellwelladjusted mothers are capable of abusing their children. They need to know, too, that children love their mother despite the most horrifying abuse, and it can be more damaging to confront or condemn mothers in front of the children. (Rosencrans, 1997, p. 36)

[She looked like a] pillar of the community. I do not believe that anyone outside of our family [and I dont know about inside either] would have seen ANYTHING to provoke suspicion regarding the nature of my mothers psychopathology, attitudes or behaviors towards me. (Rosencrans, 1997, p. 60)

My mother was highly educated, had successfully been a professor for several years before having children, was a volunteer in various highly regarded, dodogooder type organizations, was a good neighbor, knew a great deal about child psychology, and was the perfect 1950s early 1960s support person for her husbands blossoming professional career. (Rosencrans, 1997, p. 60)

No one would believe what she became when left alone with me. Sometimes I still dont believe it. (Rosencrans, 1997, p. 60)

A couple of years ago she got the Volunteer of the Year award. (Rosencrans, 1997, p. 60)

[Outside our home she could look] angelic and perfect. (Rosencrans, 1997, p. 61)

Who Knew?
yes Other parent? Other adults? 20% 28% no 27% 27% ? 53% 36%

(Rosencrans, 1997, p. 39)

Range of Paternal Responses

[My father knew] and participated and probably initiated it.! My father not only condoned her behavior but enforced my submission to it: he hit me when I gave her lip [i.e., said no]. (Rosencrans, 1997, p. 39)

Told her mother about her grandmothers sexual abuse of her Response: Granny just wants a big cuddle . . . Do what granny wants or she wont want you, and youll have to stay in the house alone, when mummy works. (Saradjian, 1996, p. 53)

Talking With Others



Currently in therapy Talking with therapist Talking with therapeutic group

81% 3% 0

(Rosencrans, 1997, p. 40)

Talking with Others



Talking with spouse (1/2 in relationships) Talking with clergy Talking with friends

0 0 88%

(Rosencrans, 1997)

Response of Others
My aunt [mothers sister] validated it took place and that the family was concerned but minded their own business. (Rosencrans, 1997, p. 46)

Talking with Mother

Yes Mother tried to talk to you Tried to talk to mother 8% 29% No 91% 70% ? 1% 1% 1%

(Rosencrans, 1997)

Societal Denial
That she might seduce a helpless child into sex play is unthinkable, and even if she did so, what harm could be done without a penis? (Mathis, 1972, p. 54)

Response to Disclosure
Mother revealed to doctor: preoccupation with daughter sexual abuse of daughter Response to mother: It is just natural for a mother to feel very fond of her children. (Welldon, 1988, p. 100) Welldon,

Response to Disclosure
Severely depressed & Suicidal boy Disclosed maternal sexual abuse Pleaded not to go home Disclosures part of illness Women caught in sex act Attempted to admit her Must be psychotic (Saradjian, 1996)

Old Attitudes
14-year14-year-old runaway sexually abused by 3939yearyear-old woman in return for a place to stay Investigating Officer: . . . He fell right on his feet there didnt he . . . Lucky sod. (Sarajdian, 1996, p. 7) (Sarajdian,

Do They Think Like Male Sex Offenders?

    

Children as sexual objects Minimizing harm Uncontrollability Dangerous world Entitlement (Beech et al., 2009)

Do They Think Like Male Sex Offenders?

    

Children as sexual objects Minimizing harm Uncontrollability Dangerous world Entitlement (Beech et al., 2009)

Do They Think Like Male Sex Offenders?



Men, not the world, are dangerous (100%)

The boys [her sons], I regret to say I didnt really have any kind of relationship with . . . Because I know what theyre going to grow up into . . . Their father . . . I thought I could trust him and he turned out to be everything I hated. (Gannon et al., 2010)

Do They Think Like Male Sex Offenders?

 

Men, not the world, are dangerous (100%) Uncontrollability (87%)

Uncontrollability
  

Due to substance abuse Over the victim Due to a co-perpetrator co(Gannon et al., 2010

Yeah I said Im sorry I dont want to do this [to her daughter] but hes making me do it. . . He wouldnt suggest it, hed make me do it. (Gannon, 2010)

Do They Think Like Male Sex Offenders?

  

Men, not the world, are dangerous (100%) Uncontrollability (87%) This child as a sexual being (63%) (Gannon, 2010)

Their Victim
  

Particularly mature Sexually advanced for their age Enjoyed the abuse (Gannon, 2010)

5-year-old victim yearShe was laughing . . . She physically asked him to do it again . . . Well it kind of indicated to me that she was enjoying it.

Do They Think Like Male Sex Offenders?

   

Men, not the world, are dangerous (100%) Uncontrollability (87%) This child as a sexual being (63%) Not that harmful (81%) (Gannon, 2010)

  

Female sexual abuse less harmful than male Would only do it once and not continue Male said it wasnt harmful (Gannon, 2010)

He knows more about kids than I do . . . Its got to be true, shes not going to remember so what harm is it going to do?

Male Entitlement


Men were entitled to control them Men were entitled to engage in sex with children (Gannon et al., 2010)

He told me to stop taking them [Prosaz] . . . [Prosaz] So I automatically stopped taking them, thats what he wanted and its his daughter. (Gannon et al., 2010)

He was more demanding and saying I was frigid, you know, saying he wished he hadnt married me . . . I wasnt the wife he wanted and so . . . [She consented to the abuse.] (Gannon et al., 2010)

Clusters of Cognitions


Group 1

Group 2

Fear of men Lack of control (W/ some entitlement and harmlessness) Fear of men Lack of control Children as sexual Harmlessness Males entitled

Clusters of Cognitions


Group 3

Fear of men Lack of control Children as sexual Harmlessness (Men not entitled)

Current Treatment Programs

Correctional Services of Canada The Assessment and Treatment Protocol for Women Who Sexually Offend (Blanchette & Taylor, 2010)

Assessment Battery
Rosenberg Self-Esteem Inventory SelfMiller Social Intimacy Scale UCLA Loneliness Scale Bumby Rape and Molest Scales Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations Paulhus Deception Scales (Blanchette & Taylor, 2010)

Treatment
CognitiveCognitive-Behavioral Grounded in a relational context Goals Identify factors that influenced offenses Learn to deal more effectively with them Good lives model (Blanchette & Taylor, 2010)

Treatment
5 Program Modules Sessions SelfSelf-management 14 Deviant arousal 25 Cognitive distortions 11 Intimacy, relationships & social 9 Empathy & Victim Awareness 10 (Blanchette & Taylor, 2010)

Lucy Faithfull Foundation

Assessment & Treatment Often do not have convictions Family court finding (Blanchette & Taylor, 2010)

Assessment
       

Personal history Offense overview Psychological strengths & vulnerabilities Trigger factors for abuse Current family circumstances Impact of previous sexual abuse Her understanding of sexual abuse Ability to protect and observe boundaries

Assessment
   

Attitude to victims Sexual fantasy Relationship history Meaning of sex to woman

Treatment
    

CognitiveCognitive-behavioral Schema therapy Dialectical behavior therapy Trauma therapy Good lives model

Treatment
  

Assessment module Three learning modules New Life Manual

Module 1
   

 

Obstacles to change AbuseAbuse-related fantasy Positive rational thinking Offense work linking needs with abusive behaviors Effects of sexual abuse Identification of abusive patterns & selfselfefficacy skills (Blanchette & Taylor, 2010)

Module 2
  

Sexual and nonsexual relationships Development of a New Life Plan Victim empathy (Blanchette & Taylor, 2010)

Module 3


  

Personally relevant risk factors & selfselfmanagement plans Goal setting Goal laddering Review of problem-focused solutions problem(Blanchette & Taylor, 2010)

Agenda
       

Rediscovering female sex offenders How many? Outcome of disclosures Differences in victim choices Types of female sex offenders Severity of abuse Motivations for offending Impact of abuse

Agenda
        

Age of onset and offset Preventing disclosure Trauma histories Female sex offenders vs nonoffenders Recidivism Assessment Role of the father Hiding Treatment

Who Do They Victimize

Victim Characteristics


Equally male and female Relationship to perpetrator Biological 64% Related 16.3% Unrelated 19.1% (Saradjian, 1996)

Victims Differences


Females

More likely to molest preschoolers (34% f to 22% m) More likely to molest teens (14% f to 25% m) Likely to molest elementary age (49% f to 52% m) (Vandiver, 2006)

Males

Both

Known Cases
Study Allen Consulting Group, 2003 Canadian Center for Justice Statistics, 2001 Cortoni & Hanson, 2005; Cortoni, Hanson & Coache, 2001 Snyder, 2000 Sources Child protection cases, Victoria, Australia Adults convicted of sexual assault against children in 2000 Official reports from Canada, UK, USA, Australia and New Zealand American Justice Depart. 60,991 victims of sexual assaults 12 states (1991-1996 <6 6 12 12-17 Female Perpetrators % 8.3 1.5

4-5

12 6 3

Known Cases
Study Vandiver & Kercher, 2004 Trocme et al., 2001 Sources Registered adult sex offenders in Texas in 2001 Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect Convicted adult sex offenders in 2000 Winnipeg Family Violence Court 19921997 (n = 1349) Criminal Statistics 19741984 Female Perpetrators % 1.6

British Home Office, 2002 Ursel & Gorkoff, 2001

2 3

OConnor, 1987

<1

Arrests of Females for Sex Crimes

1% of rapes 6% of other sex offenses (CSOM, 2007)

Pathways to Offending
82%
 Explicit

approach  Directed avoidant  Implicit disorganized (Gannon, 2010)

Explicit approach
Almost
  

Intended to offend Explicit planning Some solo and some male accompanied (Gannon, 2010)

Avoidant Directed
<1/4
  

Did not plan the offense themselves Coerced by males Actively tried to avoid offending (Gannon, 2010)

Implicit Disorganized
22%
   

Minimal planning Low self-control selfImpulsivity Against adults and children (Gannon, 2010)

Treatment

Treatment
Not in Same Group Can lead to abusive relationships May minimize female offending or treat more severely Dont respond as well to confrontation Men more interested in power and status In mixed groups, men more influential (Baas, 2011)

 

  

Cognitive Distortions
Neutralization Denial of responsibility Denial of injury Denial of victim Appeal to a higher authority Condemnation of the condemners (Sykes & Matza, 1957) Matza,

Trauma Histories

Female Sex Offenders

N = 11 incarcerated female sex offenders 11 incarcerated non sex offenders
 More

childhood sexual abuse  Victimized exclusively within the family.  High incidence physical abuse (Kaplan & Green,1995)

If victim < 16; 48% - previous hx of psychiatric disorder

Females vs. Male Sex Offenders

 More  More

domestic violence

traumatic childhoods Physical, emotional, sexual abuse unstable marital relationships satisfied with marital partner

 More  Less

(Allen, 1991)

Denial

Females vs. Male Sex Offenders

 More

denial sexual abuse as more deviant

 Perceive

 More

resistant to investigation think behavior can be changed (Allen, 1991)

 Fewer

Adolescent Female Sex Offenders

Age of Adolescent Sex Offenders

50%


Females Males

11 13 yrs old 14 16 yrs old

Victim Choice Adolescent Sex Offenders

N = 61 females; 122 males Same as Different Offender from Offender Males Females 30% 59% 70% 41% (Vandiver, 2006)

Juvenile female offenders Adult female offenders

60% m.

77% f. (Tardif et al., 2005)

Female Adolescent Sex Offenders

N = 67 Community/residential Mood Disorder > PTSD nearly (Matthews et al., 1997)

Female Adolescent Sex Offenders

  

More severe abuse Abuse started earlier More experienced force (Matthews et al., 1997)

Comparison of Female & Male Adolescent Sex Offenders

Offending behaviors Similar Frequency & Magnitude (Matthews et al., 1997)

Female Adolescent Sex Offenders

Repetitive patterns of offending Multiple victims Used force as frequently as males (Matthews et al., 1997)

Female Adolescent Sex Offenders

 

Number of molesters No. w/ more than 1 molester Gender of molester Male only Female only Both

Female 4.5 75%

Male 1.4 10%

58% 80% 4% 13% 38% 7% (Matthews et al., 1997)

Comparison of Male and Female Juvenile Sexual Offenders

Males 9% 46% Females 50% 9%

PTSD Conduct Disorder

(Kubik et al., 2002)

Adult Female Sex Offenders vs Adult Nonsex Offenders

Mental Health of Adult Female Sexual Offenders Vs Nonsexual Offenders

N = 11
PTSD % 73 Depression % 64

Female Sexual Offenders Female Nonsexual Offenders

More APD (Green & Kaplan, 1994)

Incarcerated Female Sex Offenders vs Female Nonsex Offenders

N = 60 sex offenders; 70 nonsex offenders  Personality disorders  Chemical dependency  Childhood trauma  Sexual trauma,  Emotional neediness  Cognitive distortions  Social competence (Strickland, 2008)

No Differences
   

Personality disorders Substance abuse Emotional neediness Cognitive distortions (Strickland, 2008)

Recidivism

Recidivism
FU Yrs Cortoni & Hanson (2005) Cortoni, Hanson & Coache N = 2490 Canada, Australia, USA UK & Netherlands 21% any recidivism 5 6.5 % 1 10.8 (outlier) 3.2

 

Sandler & Freeman, 2009 N = 1466

1.8

Two groups
%


Traditional, hands-on offenders hands-

1.2

Criminal females forcing Children into prostitution 12.7 (Sandler & Freeman, 2009)


Risk Factors for New Sexual Offense

Prior arrests for sexual offences Number of prior child abuse offences (of any type) (Sandler & Freeman, 2009)

Assessment

Assessment


No validated risk assessment instruments Dont use male normed instruments

Assessment
        

Adverse developmental experiences Prior criminal history Details of offenses Social network Educational, work & social functioning Mental health issues Substance abuse Relationship to men Deviant sexual fantasies

  

Sexual history Beliefs about sex Cognitions about abuse

Polygraph
N = 17 incarcerated females Offending w/ & w/out male 65% offended solo Before offending with male (Heil, Simons & Burton, 2010) Heil,

Sexual Histories w/ Polygraph

% Pornography 85 Group sex 56 Bondage/sadism/masochism 39 Prostitution 35 Coprophilia/urophilia Coprophilia/urophilia 13 (Heil, Simons & Burton, 2010) Heil,

    

Siblings of Victims Abused by Mother as Well?

Yes Sisters Brothers 26% No 44% ? 4%

37% 33% 7% (Rosencrans, 1997, 82)