Table 1. Studies Examining Female Sexual Offenders’ Cognition Authors Sample Control Group Design/Measures Results Beckett et al. (2007) 80 convicted or suspected 80 convicted or suspected Children and Sex Questionnaire Equally high levels of offense-supportive female child sexual male child sexual abusers (Beckett, 1987) cognition and victim empathy deficits across abusers (age unspecified) (age unspecified) male and female sexual abusers. Within female Victim Empathy Questionnaire sexual abusers, lone female abusers show (Beckett & Fisher, 1994) Recruited from UK Recruited from UK greatest deficits relative to co-abusers (p = .05) criminal justice and child criminal justice and child protection referrals protection referrals Beech et al. (2009) 15 convicted female child -- Semi-Structured Interview Evidence for four of the five implicit schemas typically noted in male child sexual abusers: sexual abusers (Mean age = 47.3 years) Uncontrollability (87% of cases, n = 13) Dangerous World (53% of cases, n = 8) Children as Sexual (47% of cases, n = 7) Recruited from UK Nature of Harm (20% of cases, n = 3) Prisons Elliott et al. (2010) 43 female child sexual -- Clinical File Review (including All five implicit schemas typically noted in male child sexual abusers found: abusers (Mean age = 31.2 therapist reports, psychometric years) data, and other relevant reports) Uncontrollability (Documented to be “less common”) Dangerous World (Documented to be “less common”) Sample comprised of file Children as Sexual (72% of cases, n = 31) referrals from the family Nature of Harm (70% of cases, n = 30) or criminal courts or child Entitlement (67% of cases, n = 29) sexual abuse admissions Fromuth & Conn 22 adolescent females who 524 adolescent females Acceptance of Interpersonal There were no differences in the endorsement (1997) reported having sexually who did not report having Violence Scale (Burt, 1980) levels across the groups regarding acceptance abused a child (age range sexually abused a child of violence, rape myths, or adversarial sexual Rape Myth Acceptance Scale
Table 1. Studies Examining Female Sexual Offenders’ Cognition Authors Sample Control Group Design/Measures Results Beckett et al. (2007) 80 convicted or suspected female child sexual abusers (age unspecified) Recruited from UK criminal justice and child protection referrals 80 convicted or suspected male child sexual abusers (age unspecified) Recruited from UK criminal justice and child protection referrals Children and Sex Questionnaire (Beckett, 1987) Victim Empathy Questionnaire (Beckett & Fisher, 1994) Equally high levels of offense-supportive cognition and victim empathy deficits across male and female sexual abusers. Within female sexual abusers, lone female abusers show greatest deficits relative to co-abusers (p = .05) Beech et al. (2009) 15 convicted female child sexual abusers (Mean age = 47.3 years) Recruited from UK Prisons -- Semi-Structured Interview Evidence for four of the five implicit schemas typically noted in male child sexual abusers: Uncontrollability (87% of cases, n = 13) Dangerous World (53% of cases, n = 8) Children as Sexual (47% of cases, n = 7) Nature of Harm (20% of cases, n = 3) Elliott et al. (2010) 43 female child sexual abusers (Mean age = 31.2 years) Sample comprised of file referrals from the family or criminal courts or child sexual abuse admissions -- Clinical File Review (including therapist reports, psychometric data, and other relevant reports) All five implicit schemas typically noted in male child sexual abusers found: Uncontrollability (Documented to be “less common”) Dangerous World (Documented to be “less common”) Children as Sexual (72% of cases, n = 31) Nature of Harm (70% of cases, n = 30) Entitlement (67% of cases, n = 29) Fromuth & Conn (1997) 22 adolescent females who reported having sexually abused a child (age range 524 adolescent females who did not report having sexually abused a child Acceptance of Interpersonal Violence Scale (Burt, 1980) Rape Myth Acceptance Scale There were no differences in the endorsement levels across the groups regarding acceptance of violence, rape myths, or adversarial sexual
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