ABSTRACT
This review of sexual offenders suggests the heterogeneity of these crimes and acts of violence. As a result, treatment programs are as varied as crime type; some treatment programs fail to focus on those factors contributing to the
The extent of female sex offending, like that of males, is vastly underreported. Compared with men, very few women are convicted of sex offenses (except those associated with prostitution) and a substantial proportion of those convicted are convicted as accomplices of men. Only two to five percent of sex offenders are female. Female sex offenders have commonly been abused physically and sexually as children, are more likely to be young, poorly educated, from lower socioeconomic status, have few social supports, and be “willing to do anything to fit in.” They are less likely than men to use physical force (or will use it less) than men and are less likely to be predatory. Unlike male sexual offenders, females are less likely to deny what they have done and more likely to accept responsibility earlier. They typically offend against female children; male, female infant, and adult victims are rare.
