Female Sex Offenders

[Page 544]When the public thinks of sex offenders, the image that comes to their mind is almost certainly that of a male. Research has traditionally mirrored this idea and has only just recently started to turn its focus to the issue of female sex offenders (FSOs). Although women constitute only 1% to 4% of reported sex offenders, they account for a substantial number of actual offenses. Of individuals who have been abused sexually, the percentage asserting abuse from a female ranges from 2% to nearly 40%. Many women have co-offenders, or are coerced into offending by a male partner, but most offend on their own. Although FSOs engage in behaviors similar to those of male perpetrators, including rape, sexual assault, forced sodomy, exposure, forced prostitution, ...