title: Characteristics of females who sexually offend: a comparison of solo and co-offenders.
abstract: Although recent typologies of female sexual offenders have recognized the importance of having a co-offender, the clinical characteristics of solo and co-female sexual offenders remain poorly understood. The aim of this study was to compare solo (n = 20) and co- (n = 20) female sexual offenders on a variety of clinical characteristics. It was found that although solo and co-offenders reported similar developmental experiences and psychological dispositions, differences were found in environmental niche, offense preceding, and positive factors. Specifically, solo offenders demonstrated a greater presence of personal vulnerabilities including mental health and substance abuse difficulties. Co-offenders reported a greater presence of environmentally based factors, including a current partner who was a known sex offender and involvement with antisocial peers. It is suggested that these results have implications for understanding assessment and intervention needs for these groups of sexual offenders.
authors.affiliation: University of Birmingham, UK The Lucy Faithfull Foundation, Birmingham, UK S.M.Gillespie@bham.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Steven M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Gillespie
authors.affiliation: University of Birmingham, UK.
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.affiliation: University of Massachusetts, Lowell, USA.
authors.forename: Ian A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Elliott
authors.affiliation: The Lucy Faithfull Foundation, Birmingham, UK.
authors.forename: Hilary J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Eldridge
authors.affiliation: The Lucy Faithfull Foundation, Birmingham, UK.
authors.forename: Sherry
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ashfield
authors.affiliation: University of Birmingham, UK.
authors.forename: Anthony R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Beech
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000987:Antisocial Personality Disorder; D002648:Child; D002650:Child Abuse, Sexual / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D057237:Criminals / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010379:Peer Group; D010551:Personality; D012742:Sex Offenses / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012919:Social Behavior; D018454:Spouses / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014930:Women
keywords: child molestation; female sexual offenders; sexual offender