title: An analysis of females convicted of sex crime in the state of Florida.
abstract: The phenomenon of female sex offenders has been poorly explored in the scientific literature. In particular, little exploration of possible subtypes of female offenders has been conducted. In the current study, 279 female sexual offenders convicted of a total of 940 separate criminal offenses were examined using hierarchical cluster analysis. Results indicated that female sexual offenders tended to engage in behaviors that fell within three distinct patterns differing according to perpetrator characteristics, victim age, and the use of force. These results suggest that female sexual offenders are a heterogeneous population and a more in-depth investigation may be necessary.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Psychology, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 33816, USA. cjferguson1111@aol.com
authors.forename: Christopher J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Ferguson
authors.forename: D Cricket
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Meehan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000374:Aggression / Q000523:psychology; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D005260:Female; D005431:Florida / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008875:Middle Aged; D011329:Prisoners / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012649:Self Concept; D012742:Sex Offenses / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014930:Women / Q000523:psychology