Invisible Boy Chp. 2 Part B

[M. Lafontaine]

Dynamics of Female Perpetrated Abuse

Some research has reported that female perpetrators commit fewer and less intrusive acts
of sexual abuse compared to males. While male perpetrators are more likely to engage in
anal intercourse and to have the victim engage in oral-genital contact, females tend to
use more foreign objects as part of the abusive act (Kaufman, 1995). This study also
reported that differences were not found in the frequency of vaginal intercourse,
fndling by the victim or abuser, genital body contact without penetration, or oral
contact by the abuser.

Females may be more likely to use verbal coercion than physical force. The most commonly
reported types of abuse by female perpetrators include vaginal intercourse, oral sex,
fondling, and group sex (Faller, 1987; Hunter et al., 1993). However, women also engage
in mutual masturbation, oral, anal, and genital sex acts, show children pornography,
and play sex games (Johnson, 1989; Knopp and Lackey, 1987). The research suggests that,
overall, female and male perpetrators commit many of the same acts and follow many of
the same patterns of abuse against their victims. They also do not tend to differ
significantly in terms of their relationship to the victim (most are relatives)
or the location of the abuse (Allen, 1991; Kaufman et al., 1995).

It is interesting to note in the study by Kaufman et al., (1995), that 8% of the female
perpetrators were teachers and 23% were baby-sitters, compared to male perpetrators who
were 0% and 8% respectively. Finkelhor et al., (1988) also report significantly higher
rates of sexual abuse of children by females in daycare settings. Of course Finkelhor’s
findings should not surprise us given that women represent the majority of daycare
employees.

Research on teen and adult female sexual abuse perpetrators has found that many suffer
from low self-esteem, antisocial behaviour, poor social and anger management skills,
fear of rejection, passivity, promiscuity, mental health problems, posttraumatic
stress disorder, and mood disorders (Hunter, Lexier, Goodwin, Browne, and Dennis,
1993; Mathews, Matthews, and Speltz, 1989). However, as in the case of male
perpetrators, research does not substantiate that highly emotionally disturbed or
psychotic individuals predominate among the larger population of female
sexual abusers (Faller, 1987).

There is some evidence that females are more likely to be involved with co-abusers,
typically a male, though studies report a range from 25% - 77% (Faller, 1987; Kaufman
et al., 1995; McCarty, 1986). However, Mayer (1992), in a review of data on 17
adolescent female sex offenders, found that only 2 were involved with male
co-perpetrators. She also found that the young women in this study knew their
victims and that none experienced legal consequences for their actions.

Self-report studies provide a very different view of sexual abuse perpetration and
increase the number of female perpetrators substantially. In a retrospective study
of male victims, 60% reported being abused by females (Johnson and Shrier, 1987).
The same rate was found in a sample of college students (Fritz et al., 1981).
In other studies of male university and college students, rates of female perpetration
were found at levels as high as 72% - 82% (Fromuth and Burkhart, 1987, 1989;
Seidner and Calhoun, 1984). Bell et al., (1991) found that 27% of males were abused
by females. In some of these types of studies females represent as much as 50% of sexual
abusers (Risin and Koss, 1987). Knopp and Lackey (1987) found that 51% of victims
of female sexual abusers were male. It is evident that case report and self-report
studies yield very different types of data about prevalence. These extraordinary
differences tell us we need to start questioning all of our assumptions about
perpetrators and victims of child maltreatment.

Finally, there is an alarmingly high rate of sexual abuse by females in the backgrounds
of rapists, sex offenders, and sexually aggressive men, 59% (Petrovich and Templer, 1984),
66% (Groth, 1979), and 80% (Briere and Smiljanich, 1993). A strong case for the need to
identify female perpetrators can be found in Table 4, which presents the findings from
a study of adolescent sex offenders by O’Brien (1989). Male adolescent sex offenders
abused by ‘females only’ chose female victims almost exclusively.

Table 4. Victim Gender Based on Who Previously Abused the Perpetrator

Gender of Perpetrators’ Own Victimizer Gender of Victim
Male or Both Female Only
Male only
67,5% 32.5 %

Female only 6.7 % 93.3 %

Berkowitz (1993), in a Winnipeg based study of sexually abused males
in treatment groups, found the following rates of perpetration.

Table 5. Gender of Abusers of Male Victims in Treatment Groups

Gender of Abusers
N %

Intrafamilial Abuse (N=54)
Male perpetrated 54 100

Female perpetrated 39 72.2 %


Extrafamilial Abuse (N=55)
Male adult 50 90.9 %

Female adult 30 54.5 %


Male adolescent 39 70.9 %


Female adolescent 24 43.6 %

[M. Lafontaine]

Dynamics of Female Perpetrated Abuse

Some research has reported that female perpetrators commit fewer and less
intrusive acts of sexual abuse compared to males. While male perpetrators
are more likely to engage in anal intercourse and to have the victim
engage in oral-genital contact, females tend to use more foreign objects
as part of the abusive act (Kaufman, 1995). This study also reported that

differences were not found in the frequency of vaginal intercourse, fondling

by the victim or abuser, genital body contact without penetration, or oral
contact by the abuser.

Females may be more likely to use verbal coercion than physical force. The
most commonly reported types of abuse by female perpetrators include vaginal
intercourse, oral sex, fondling, and group sex (Faller, 1987; Hunter
et al., 1993). However, women also engage in mutual masturbation, oral, anal,
and genital sex acts, show children pornography, and play sex games
(Johnson, 1989; Knopp and Lackey, 1987). The research suggests that,
overall, female and male perpetrators commit many of the same acts and
follow many of the same patterns of abuse against their victims. They also
do not tend to differ significantly in terms of their relationship to the
victim (most are relatives) or the location of the abuse (Allen, 1991;
Kaufman et al., 1995).

It is interesting to note in the study by Kaufman et al., (1995), that 8%
of the female perpetrators were teachers and 23% were baby-sitters, compared
to male perpetrators who were 0% and 8% respectively. Finkelhor et al.,
(1988) also report significantly higher rates of sexual abuse of children by
females in daycare settings. Of course Finkelhor’s findings should not
surprise us given that women represent the majority of daycare employees.

Research on teen and adult female sexual abuse perpetrators has found that

many suffer from low self-esteem,antisocial behaviour, poor social and anger