Citation

Gillespie SM, Williams R, Elliott IA, Eldridge HJ, Ashfield S, Beech AR. Sex. Abuse 2014; 27(3): 284-301.

Affiliation

University of Birmingham, UK.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2014, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/1079063214556358

PMID

25404275

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.

Language: en