Comparing Theoretical Perspectives on Female Sexual Offending Behaviors: Applying a Trauma-Informed Lens

Abstract

This article provides historical and contemporary perspectives on female sexual offending behavior, divided into three sections. The first section provides background context including incidence, prevalence, and mediating factors in female sex offender (FSO) behavior. The second section overviews the evolution of theories used for understanding the etiology of FSO behaviors including psychodynamic, behaviorist, and trauma-informed perspectives. This discussion includes each theory’s background, key concepts, and application to understanding FSO behavior. The final section focuses on lessons learned from this analysis of theoretical thought on FSO etiology and the state of FSO etiology science today.

Keywords:

• Child abuse
• female sex offenders
• gender
• sex offenders
• trauma informed

ORCID

David A. McLeod

http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9380-2253