Good Girl Influenced or Bad Girl Independence?: Female Sex Offenders, Male Partners, and Neutralization

• In Event: Understanding Female Sexual Offenders

Abstract

Female sex offenders are often an ignored population. Although male sexual offending is often studied, there are still gaps in the literature for females committing the same offenses. In addition, female co-defendants working with male partners in sexual crimes have not been thoroughly examined in a theoretical framework within the various forms of literature. The female sex offender can be seen as neutralizing their actions much like the male sex offender population. Applying the typology of the "male-coerced" co-offender through the work of Matthews et al., 1991, five case studies will be utilized and addressed through Sykes and Matza's (1957) Techniques of Neutralization Theory. Recommendations for the future research on the female sex offender also will be addressed.

Authors

• Kayla Mae Bash, Indiana University of Pennsylvania

• Stacie Merken, Texas Christian University