NCJ Number
167754
Date Published
1997
Length
16 pages
Annotation
Female juvenile sex offenders are discussed, based on a review of descriptive and comparative studies; the most significant finding is that adolescent female sex offenders were all sexually abused at a significantly greater rate than adolescent female nonoffenders, adolescent male nonoffenders, and adolescent male sex offenders.
Abstract
The analysis revealed that small samples and samples of nonrepresentative populations are significant problems in the current literature. Nevertheless, the available data indicate that adolescent female offenders tend to commit multiple acts of sexual abuse against younger family members, often in caregiving situations. In addition, adolescent female offenders tend to be of average intelligence but have academic difficulties. These offenders may also engage in a variety of delinquent behaviors, including drug abuse. Moreover, adolescent female offenders suffer from emotional and psychological difficulties similar to the emotional disorders among adult female offenders. Furthermore, adolescent female offenders come from chaotic households where parental instability, domestic assault, drug abuse, and many forms of maltreatment occur. Finally, adolescent female offenders tend to have been victims of sexual abuse themselves, often from more than one offender. This abuse typically begins at an early age and takes place many times. The assumed low rates of female sexual offending should not remain a barrier to further research on this small yet significant group of sex offenders. 45 references