Extra! Extra! Read all about it!: Analyzing Vandiver and Kercher’s (2004) FSO Typologies in Popular Newspapers

• In Event: Understandings of Sexual Assault and Persistent Patriarchy

Abstract

Research indicates approximately 3-7% of sex offenders in the U.S. self-identify as female (U.S. Sentencing Commission, 2022). Conversely, the social construction of females that have perpetrated sex crimes through media forms often mitigates the seriousness of their crimes. By the very nature of previous typologies, the category titles exemplify a gendered approach to explain this type of individual. Indeed, the teacher/lover relationship often dominated extreme media coverage due to such famous cases as Mary Kay Letourneau, Jennifer Rice, and Leah Shipman. However, the development of new typologies has broadened the research on females that have perpetrated sex crimes, providing additional insight into their unique criminality. Employing a directed qualitative content analysis, the researchers examine popular newspapers from 2000 to 2024 through the lens of Vandiver & Kercher’s (2004) typologies. An assessment of common typologies in comparison to media portrayals, limitations, and future research will be addressed.

Authors

• Alexa Sardina, California State University, Sacramento

• Stacie Merken, Indiana University South Bend