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  • Juvenile and Female Sex Offenders

Juvenile and Female Sex Offenders

The resources on this webpage provide information on child sexual abuse by juvenile and female sex offenders.

  • Juvenile offenders
  • Female offenders

Juvenile offenders

From Criminological Heterogeneity to Coherent Classes: Developing a Typology of Juvenile Sex Offenders
Fox & DeLisi (2017)
Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice, 1(20)
Shares typologies developed for male and female juvenile sex offenders and identifies predictors of juvenile sex offending, including age of criminal onset, criminal history, levels of impulsivity and empathy, depression, psychosis, and experiencing child sexual abuse.

MST-PSB: Multisystemic Therapy for Youth With Problem Sexual Behaviors
MST Associates
Provides a description of MST-PSB, which was designed to treat youth for problematic sexual behavior. The website offers facts about this type of therapy and links to research supporting the intervention.

National Center on the Sexual Behavior of Youth
Provides information for professionals, parents, and other caregivers on promoting healthy sexual development for children and youth. This website also provides resources on appropriate decision-making in response to problematic sexual behaviors in youth.

Sex Offender Management Assessment and Planning Initiative
U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking (2017)
Presents research regarding the developmental differences between juveniles and adults and highlights how these differences should influence policy and practice concerning juveniles who commit sexual offenses.

Youth Arrested for Trading Sex Have the Highest Rates of Childhood Adversity: A Statewide Study of Juvenile Offenders (PDF - 507 KB)
Naramore, Bright, Epps, & Hardt (2015)
Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment, 29(4)
Examines rates of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in youth ages 12 to 18 arrested for sex trading and other crimes relating to sex trafficking. Findings showed that all youth charged with trafficking violations experienced at least one ACE, with the most prevalent being household violence, and that at least half experienced four or more.

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Female offenders

Adverse Childhood Experiences in the Lives of Female Sex Offenders
Levenson, Willis, & Prescott (2015) 
Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment, 27(3)
Examines early childhood trauma in female sex offenders and finds that, compared to females in the general population, they had more than three times the rates of child sexual abuse, child neglect, and having an incarcerated family member and four times the odds of child verbal abuse.

Dispelling the Myths: Female-Perpetrated Sexual Abuse
Jeglic (2020)
Psychology Today
Presents the results of a study on female-perpetrated sexual abuse that found a higher rate of cases than previously reported. The article reports that the rate of sexual abuse committed by females may be even higher as many victims who are abused by women may not recognize what was done to them as abuse.

Female Juvenile Sexual Offenders: Understanding Who They Are and Possible Steps That May Prevent Some Girls From Offending 
Oliver & Holmes (2015)
Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, 24 
Describes common characteristics of juvenile female sex offenders and ways in which they are similar or different from male juvenile sex offenders. Findings showed that female sex offenders often experienced sexual victimization at a very young age; experienced child maltreatment; came from dysfunctional families; possess inadequate social skills; and show signs of depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, hyperactivity, and other psychopathy.

Female Offenders in Child Sexual Abuse Cases: A National Picture 
McLeod (2015)
Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, 24 
Presents differences between male and female offenders of child sexual abuse and shows how female offenders are unique in some ways. Findings from the study showed females display a lack of discrimination when it comes to victim gender, are more likely to offend against their own children or close relatives, and tend to have more significant trauma histories.

Sexual Victimization Perpetrated by Women: Federal Data Reveal Surprising Prevalence (PDF - 525 KB)
Stemple, Flores, & Meyer (2017) 
Aggression and Violent Behavior, 34
Explores cases of sexual victimization perpetrated by women and finds that it is not as rare as believed. The study's authors recommend professionals working in the field of sexual abuse avoid downplaying the frequency and impact of sexual perpetration by women.

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