Perspectives on Female Sex Offending A Culture of Denial Welfare and Society Series

The issue of child sexual abuse has gained widespread attention over the last three decades, but minimal attention has been paid to sexual abuse by women. Victims of female sex offenders have been virtually ignored or neglected from serious study. Consequently we have little knowledge of the experience of victims or of professional perspectives on female sex offending. Myriam Denov fills these critical gaps in the literature by examining the life histories and experiences of both male and female victims of female sex offenders, and by investigating the impact and consequences of the sexual abuse. She also explores professional responses to female sex offending and the ways in which police officers and psychiatrists have understood, portrayed and managed such cases. In addition to filling the substantial empirical void that surrounds the issue, the book contributes to policy and practice issues relating to victims and to the training of different professional groups involved in child sex abuse.

Contents: Introduction; The prevalence of female sex offending: rare or under-recognized?; Understanding denial: the transformation and dialectical processes; The research methodology; Police perspectives on female sex offending; Psychiatrists' perspectives on female sex offending; Victims' perspectives on female sex offending; Conclusion and policy implications; References; Index.

Myriam S. Denov is Assistant Professor within the Department of Criminology at the University of Ottawa, Canada.