Female Sex Offenders: What Therapists, Law Enforcement and Child Protective Services Need to Know Book

	Introduction	1
1.	Development of a Female Sex Offender	3
	Debbie as an Infant	3
	Debbie as a Preschooler	4
	Debbie at Seven	5
	Debbie in Junior High	6
	Debbie as a Teenager	7
	The First Offense	8
	Early Adulthood	9
2.	What Harm Can Be Done Without a Penis?	11
	Sexual Acts Committed Independently by Females	11
	Direct Sexual Contact Disguised as Caretaking	14
	Sexual Acts Committed with a Co-Offender	16
	Females who Indirectly Participate	19
	Indirect Sexualized Acts Noted in the Literature	21
	Ritual Sexual Abuse that Includes Female Perpetrators	22
	Summary	23
3.	Why Don't People Talk About Female Sex Offenders?	29
	Reluctance of Victims to Report Female Child Molesters	30
	Reluctance of Male Victims to Report Female Child Molesters	32
	Laws are Less Likely to Recognize Males as Potential Victims of Sexual Abuse	36
	Reluctance of Female Victims to Report Sexual Abuse by a Female	37
	Reluctance of Female Sexual Abusers to Acknowledge Having Committed Sexually Abusive Acts	40
	Societal Views Concerning Women Mask Female Perpetrated Child Sexual Abuse	41
	Female Sexual Abusers May Not Become Known to Researchers	45
	Professionals Are Not Trained to Recognize the Female Sexual Abuser	46
	Summary	49
4.	Rates of Offending by Female Sex Offenders	53
	The Problem of Defining Child Sexual Abuse	53
	The Problem of Gathering Information Concerning Female Sex Offenders from Different Sources	56
	Studies of Offender Populations	57
	Studies of Victim Populations	63
	Other Sources of Information on Female Sex Offenders	73
	Summary	74
5.	Effects of Sexual Molestation by a Female on the Child	75
	Impact Specific to Victims of Female Perpetrated Sexual Abuse	75
	Evidence Concerning the Harm to Males from Female Perpetrated Child Sexual Abuse	77
	Effects of Female Perpetrated Child Sexual Abuse upon Female Victims	84
	Effects of Female Perpetrated Sexual Abuse on a Child: Consistency of Findings	91
	Summary	97
6.	Childhood Sexual Victimization Histories of Female Sex Offenders	101
	Sexual Abuse in the Backgrounds of Female Sexual Abusers	102
	Cautions Concerning Study Comparisons	108
	Summary	109
7.	Nonsexual Abuse and Trauma Histories of Female Sex Offenders	111
	Childhood Physical Abuse and Other Forms of (Nonsexual) Childhood Victimization Among Female Sex Offenders	112
	Husbands and Mates of Female Child Molesters	119
	Summary	124
8.	Diagnoses and Co-morbid Problems Common to Female Sex Offenders	127
	Psychological Difficulties of the Female Offender	127
	Schizophrenia and Psychotic Disorders	129
	Depression and Other Mood Disorders	131
	Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder	133
	Drug and Alcohol Abuse	133
	Eating Disorders	136
	Sexual Behavior/Sexual Dysfunction/Paraphilias	137
	Dissociative Disorders	139
	Personality Disorders/Traits	139
	Multiple Disorders	141
	Problems of Limited Intelligence, Learning Problems, School Problems, Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Problems	141
	Other Disorders	143
	Violence	144
	Harm to Self	154
	Delinquency/Behavior Problems	156
	General Inadequacy of Functioning (Educational, Occupational Problems)	157
	General Inadequacy of Functioning (Relationship Problems)	158
	Other Co-morbid Problems	160
	Diagnostic/Assessment Considerations	162
	Summary	166
9.	Handling Client Difficulties with Participation in Therapy	173
	Client Difficulties Participating in the Therapeutic Relationship	173
	Therapeutic Stance of the Therapist	180
	Role Modeling	187
	Therapy Techniques for Facilitating Learning in the Early Stages of Therapy	189
	Summary	191
10.	The Early Tasks of Therapy	195
	Establishing Safety	196
	Improving Self-Esteem	198
	Consolidating Identity	200
	Teaching Coping Skills	201
	Summary	204
11.	Exploring Victimization and Patterns of Offending	207
	Gradual Approach to More Personal, Specific and Emotional Concerns	207
	Exploring Victimization and Its Relationship to Offending	212
	Lack of a Sense of Appropriate Boundaries	213
	Relationship Skills	214
	Emotional Release	216
	Struggle for Identity and Belonging	217
	Distorted Sense of Normalcy	218
	Survival	219
	Sexual Preoccupation and Sexual Aversion to Adults	219
	Lack of Self-Worth	220
	External Locus of Control	221
	Exploring Precursors and Alternatives to Victimizing	221
	Practical Concerns Related to Treatment	229
	Summary	232
	References	235
	Index	255