With investigating authorities focusing on male sex offenders, there is a limited amount of reliable data relating to their female counterparts. In recent years, female sex offenders statistics have unearthed some uneasy truths about the nature of their offenses and victims. Statistics show they have very different driving forces behind their behavior and often act with someone else’s aid.
Female Sex Offenders Statistics (Editor’s Choice)
- More than 43% of the adults who admit to forcing sex are women.
- Females are responsible for 7% of all juvenile sex offenses.
- The average age of a female sex offender in the US is between 26 and 36.
- Females sex offenders are more likely to sexually abuse children under 12.
- About a half of all sex crimes committed by females involve an accomplice.
- Female sex offenders have a 1% recidivism rate monitored over 5 years.
Female Sex Offenders Statistics & Facts
1. Women account for 43.6% of adults who admit to having forced someone to have sex.
A study by Lara Stemple at UCLA School of Law found that just under half of those who have forced sex are women. This is in stark contrast to the public perception that women sex offenders are much less common which has created a bias against men.
(UCLA via Science Direct, Walden University)
2. About an equal of men and women have been forced into sexual interactions.
In the same study, and to the surprise of many, it was concluded that as many men as women were sexualized against their will. Female sex offenders statistics are more difficult to analyze simply because there is far less research done to investigate their role in sexual offenses further.
(UCLA via Science Direct)
3. Females commit 7% of all juvenile sex offenses.
The broader misconceptions about women sex offenders are based largely on myth and have no root in the actual data gleaned from a thorough research of the topic. There is hard evidence linking women to sexual offenses relating to children, with statistics on female sex offenders showing that 1.4% of all child victims have been sexually abused by women.
(Springer Link)
4. The average age of a female child sex offender in the US is 26-36.
Though the more specific characteristics of female sex offenders are complex and varied, they do share some common traits, with the average age for child molesters being between 26 and 36. Furthermore, as many as 50% of all female sex predators targeting children have experienced some form of sexual and/or physical abuse themselves. According to several studies, most of them were either mentally, physically, or sexually abused at a young age.
(NCBI)
5. Research shows 35% of all male victims of sexual assault report a female perpetrator.
Statistics on male vs female sex offenders from the National Crime Victimization Survey indicate that as many as 35% of male victims were sexually assaulted by members of the opposite sex. In these female sex offender cases, 58% of the male victims reported that they also suffered a violent attack at their assailants’ hands.
(Scientific American)
6. A study on convicted women sex offenders shows 50% of assaults involved a partner.
Female sex offenders statistics presented in a study of convicted offenders show that half of all female sex crimes are committed with the help of a partner. While the gender of the co-accused is unknown, data shows that they tend to be romantically involved with the female perpetrator.
(INSPQ)
7. Women account for more than 30% of offenders in teacher/student misconduct cases.
While some studies show that women account for as little as 10% of all reported sexual crimes, things are a bit different in schools. Female teacher sex offender statistics show that women are the perpetrators in nearly a third of reported teacher/student misconduct cases.
Schools must partner with reliable employment background check companies and perform continuous monitoring on their candidates, especially those who work with children, to prevent such cases from happening. These institutions also must provide a safe environment that will encourage victims to report abuse.
(LeoWeekly)
8. Female sex offenders are significantly more likely to target children under 12.
One of the critical distinctions in comparing male vs female sex offenders is their victims’ average age. Female offenders target children under the age of 12 far more than males, and though it is only a segment of their profile, it does encourage more research as to why it occurs. Statistics on female sex offenders show that most female perpetrators have been abused as children themselves. This trauma likely has some part to play.
For extra safety, you can check everyone who has contact with your children on people search sites that show criminal history, sex offender registry status, and other publicly available information. You can also use the National Sex Offender Registry to find out if there are any registered sexual offenders in your area.
(Bridgewater State University)
9. Female sex offenders have a 1% recidivism rate over five years.
According to studies, female rapists and sex offenders are far less likely than men to re-offend over a period of five years, and there is nothing to suggest that number would change even over more extensive observation. Sex offender statistics show they are also more likely to act as part of a group rather than independently.
(SMART)
Female Sex Offenders FAQs
What percentage of sex offenders are female?
Statistics on male vs female sex offenders showing the percentage of rapists by gender confirm a heavy male lean. Despite a lack of investigation into female pedophiles and sex offenders, it’s estimated that 1.2% are arrested for rape and 8% for other sex-related offenses.
Are there female pedophiles?
Even though the prevailing opinion is that more men are pedophiles than women, child molester statistics suggest that isn’t necessarily true. In fact, women are more likely than men to commit a sex offense against a child under the age of 12, either as an accomplice or a perpetrator.
What percentage of rapists are women?
The percentage of women is and always has been much lower than their male counterparts at around 1.2%, as evidenced by rape statistics.
How are female sex offenders different than male sex offenders?
The motivating factors behind the acts of females committing sex crimes are very different than those of males, and this pertains mainly to the age and gender of their victims. Female sex offenders statistics show that women tend to target younger children and don’t discriminate based on gender.
Sources: UCLA via Science Direct, Walden University, Springer Link, NCBI, Scientific American, INSPQ, LeoWeekly, Bridgewater State University, SMART, Department of Justice
