The Primary Prevention of Female Sexual Offending: Current Opportunities

AuthorJennifer Grant
DOIhttp://doi.org/10.1177/25166069221134224
Published date01 October 2022
Date01 October 2022
Subject MatterOriginal Articles
The Primary Prevention
of Female Sexual
Offending: Current
Opportunities
Jennifer Grant1
Abstract
A public health approach to the primary prevention of sexual offending has gen-
erated positive outcomes. Recent campaigns have challenged societal stereotypes
of sexual offenders; changed organizational policies and increased public knowl-
edge. However, primary prevention has largely been missing for female sexual
offenders. This is because female sexual abuse has generated much less attention
than its male equivalent. To introduce relevant context, this article initially pre-
sents a short literature review. This aims to critically explore the extent of the
issue and what motivates relevant women. Typologies are then applied to intro-
duce the distinctions between solo offenders and co-offenders. This distinction is
utilized to consider how primary prevention could address female sexual offend-
ing. Two key themes emerge in terms of societal stereotypes and key offending
spaces. The current evidence highlights the need to challenge societal norms,
which minimize women’s propensity to commit sexual offences. It also appears
significant to challenge stereotypes, which glorify attractive women who sexu-
ally abuse adolescent males. The opportunities within institutional spaces and
the domestic setting are also considered, with deliberation to targeting relevant
professionals and guardians in future primary prevention efforts.
Keywords
Child sexual abuse, female sexual offending, social constructions, primary preven-
tion, gender and crime, solo offenders, co-offenders
Introduction
The primary prevention of sexual offending has long been an underused strategy in
reducing rates of sexual crime. Primary prevention aims to prevent abuse before it
Original Article
Journal of Victimology
and Victim Justice
5(2) 139–148, 2022
2022 Rajiv Gandhi National
University of Law
Reprints and permissions:
in.sagepub.com/journals-permissions-india
DOI: 10.1177/25166069221134224
journals.sagepub.com/home/vvj
1 School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, UK
Corresponding author:
Jennifer Grant, School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of Portsmouth, St George’s
Building, 141 High Street, Portsmouth PO1 2HY, UK.
E-mail: Jennifer.grant@port.ac.uk

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