Perspectives on Female Sex Offending: A Culture of Denial

by Myriam S. Denov

Overview

The issue of child sexual abuse has gained widespread attention over the last three decades, but minimal attention has been paid to sexual abuse by women. Victims of female sex offenders have been virtually ignored or neglected from serious study. Consequently we have little knowledge of the experience of victims or of professional perspectives on female sex offending. Myriam Denov fills these critical gaps in the literature by examining the life histories and experiences of both male and female victims of female sex offenders, and by investigating the impact and consequences of the sexual abuse. She also explores professional responses to female sex offending and the ways in which police officers and psychiatrists have understood, portrayed and managed such cases. In addition to filling the substantial empirical void that surrounds the issue, the book contributes to policy and practice issues relating to victims and to the training of different professional groups involved in child sex abuse.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780754635659
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	01/19/2004
Series:	Welfare and Society
Pages:	240
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.19(h) x (d)

About the Author

Myriam S. Denov is Assistant Professor within the Department of Criminology at the University of Ottawa, Canada.

Table of Contents

Contents: Introduction; The prevalence of female sex offending: rare or under-recognized?; Understanding denial: the transformation and dialectical processes; The research methodology; Police perspectives on female sex offending; Psychiatrists' perspectives on female sex offending; Victims' perspectives on female sex offending; Conclusion and policy implications; References; Index.

Editorial Reviews

’This book makes a significant contribution to our understanding of professional responses to female sex offenders. Anyone interested in this area will be hugely stimulated by the author's careful consideration of victims’ experiences and by her account of the processes of denial within professional settings that women can do such things. The book holds important messages for those involved in policy-making and in the training of professional groups involved with child sex abuse.’ Dr Loraine Gelsthorpe, University of Cambridge, UK ’Professor Denov is to be congratulated for opening up research into the hitherto taboo subject of sex offending by females. She has effectively dispelled the comforting belief that children are never sexually abused by women. Her evidence is robust...More importantly, beyond documenting unpleasant truths, she presents reasoned interpretations of the human emotions and contexts in which the behaviour occurs.’ Professor Donald J. West, University of Cambridge, UK ’Myriam S. Denov brings us an...examination of sexual crimes committed by women...There is no comparable literature that deals with the issues Denov addresses...Perspectives on Female Sex Offending: A Culture of Denial is a must for any collection.’ Academia ’...of interest...to organisations involved in multi-agency public protection panels and all professions involved in child and adult protection, and their professional trainers. This is an awareness-raising and interesting contribution to a persistent taboo subject.’ Journal of Adult Protection ’This book would be useful to those interested in sex offending or the examination of gender-biased perceptions within society. It provides a great deal of information about these issues and it contributes to the literature by drawing attention to a topic that is overlooked and underresearched.’ Criminal Justice Review

From the Publisher