Traditional sociocultural views of gender roles have helped prevent the recognition that women also commit sexual offenses. Further, people tend to have difficulties understanding how a woman can sexually offend—the idea being that sexual offending necessarily involves a penis. As a result, female sexual offending has traditionally been minimized and considered nonserious. This entry reviews the nature of sexual offending by women, including its prevalence and the various types of female sexual offenders.

The Nature of Sexual Offending by Women

Female sexual offenders, like their male counterparts, engage in a variety of sexually offending behaviors against male and female victims. Although their victims may be of any age, women predominantly sexually offend against underage victims (children or adolescents). Their sexually offending acts include exposing one’s genitals, fondling, ...

  • Loading...
locked icon

Sign in to access this content

Get a 30 day FREE TRIAL

  • Watch videos from a variety of sources bringing classroom topics to life
  • Read modern, diverse business cases
  • Explore hundreds of books and reference titles