ABSTRACT
While women commit much fewer crimes than men, they are increasingly coming to the attention of the criminal justice system for sexual offences. Consequently, the demand for assessments of risk of recidivism and developments of treatment and strategies to manage and reduce the risk of reoffending among this special subgroup of sexual offenders are increasing. Yet, professionals tasked with the assessment and treatment of these women have very little systematic information on which to base their evaluations. Although research is still in its infancy, there is now a growing empirical body of information about female sexual offenders that goes beyond clinical case studies. This chapter will provide a review of the current knowledge in the area of risk of sexual recidivism, assessment, and treatment needs of women who sexually offend. Specifically, the prevalence of female sexual offending, recidivism rates, risk factors, and assessment and treatment issues will be discussed.
