ABSTRACT

Sexual offending is generally regarded as a male phenomenon. This is reflected in the fact that research on females who sexually offend is scarce: The vast majority of studies on sexual offending focus on male offenders. This chapter on female sexual offending will discuss the prevalence rates of female sexual offending, as well as the difficulties in establishing these rates. Furthermore, background characteristics, offense characteristics, and the theoretical perspectives on women involved in sexual crimes will also be discussed. This chapter ends with a description of the criminal careers, recidivism, and risk assessment of females who sexually offend, followed by a discussion of female sexual offending.