There's an assumption that women don't molest or abuse but does it just provide cover for them?

http://www.canadiancrc.com/articles/The_Press_Study_girls_molest_boys_01JUL04.htm

Study finds girls molest young boys

THE PRESS, NZ, By TIM HUME, July 1, 2004

Researchers into sexual abuse by girls say female sexual offending is chronically under-reported and specialised rehabilitation programmes are urgently needed.

Findings released yesterday from New Zealand's first study into adolescent female sexual offending reported a "culture of denial" about female sexual offending, which allowed adolescent female abusers to molest young, usually male, victims without repercussion.

If not rehabilitated, female abusers would most likely continue to offend and eventually pose a threat to their own children.

The survey of 400 health, mental health and related professionals identified eight young women in Christchurch currently aged between 12 and 19 who had sexually abused. It identified other female

abusers older than 19, who were excluded from the results.

Lead researcher Nikki Evans, from the University of Canterbury's social work department, said there was "an enormous amount of minimisation" surrounding sexual abuse by females, which meant it was usually not reported by victims, families or health professionals.

"People find it really difficult to perceive young women engaging in sexually abusive behaviours; it goes against the idea of women as nurturers," she said.

Research showed many people, including mental health professionals, perceived female sexual offending as not abusive or harmful.

"If a young girl abuses a 12-year-old boy it's seen as an initiation and a positive thing, rather than something traumatic," Evans said.

Researcher Don Mortensen, manager of the STOP Trust, which runs rehabilitation programmes for adult, adolescent and child sexual abusers, said society had been slow to acknowledge that sexual abuse by females was equally as destructive as that perpetrated by men.

STOP commissioned the research as a feasibility study into establishing the country's first rehabilitation programme for adolescent female abusers.

In nearly all of the eight Christchurch cases, the girls' victims were well known to them. Most were siblings or foster siblings. Peers at school and other neighbourhood children they were babysitting were also abused.

"They're abusing within the context of a relationship. We know that sort of abuse is the most difficult context (for the victim)," Evans said.

Their victims were always younger, and typically male. Three abused children aged between one and five years old.

The number of victims for each girl ranged between one and five, although Evans said the true numbers may be higher due to under-reporting.

The girls' average age was now 16 but several had been pre-teens when they started abusing.

None were reported to the youth justice system or referred to specialist treatment programmes.

"That suggests their offending was not prioritised, which reflects the general view in the community," Evans said.

There was a pressing need to treat adolescent female offenders because females who had been sexually abused were more likely to become teenage mothers, she said.

That chestnut has been floating around for years and smacks rather uneasily of "accepted wisdom".

Peer reviewed and independant please, not special interest groups.

we were discussing male paranoia regarding accusations of child molestation.

No we're not - stop projecting your self abuse fantasies and read the article. Its about "whether we, as a culture, are teaching children to fear men".

I know that in your mind any discussion about abuse etc inherently starts from the assumption that men are paranoid and evil and women are victims, but fortunately that is not the case for civilised educated mature adults.

fetboy is brightstar.

Not literally, but fetboy exhibits all the raw paranoia, projection, conspiracy theories and thread derailing hysterical random accusations that brightsar is famous for.

They are emotional and intellectual twins.

nt

Evidence will never be twisted

Prosecutors will strive for the truth rather than a result

The community will rally around you

fetboy is 12 years old and posting from his momma's basement.

Because really - the naivety is astounding. Not to mention self contradictory. Earlier he said if his wife accused him of molesting he would take it seriously - what does he think his precious community would do.

Thanks for the links, they are fascinating. I had a quick scan through them, I not sure if the "1 in 4" studies you reference are there, maybe it will turn up on a more detailed reading.

For the first link - "prevalence of child sexual abuse varied between 7-62% for girls and 4-30% for boys" That's a wildly varying range which is statistically meaningless - I know its an aggregate of 23 studies but if a range of different sampling methods come up with such different results then it does call into question the value of any of them.

This is while I believe fetboys insistence that rape is defined by penetration to be so damaging - it reinforces the myth that males are not sexually abused by females and trivalises their very real trauma - from the studies : "female sexual abuse of males is often seen as 'desirable' and/or beneficial by judges, mass media pundits and other authorities". It enables female abusers to continue with impunity.

Like so many of the authorities mentioned there would counselor fetboy look a boy or man in the eye and "I tried to tell my therapist when I was 35. She told me that I was having fantasies about my mother and that I needed more therapy to deal with it. In reality, my mother had physically and sexually abused me for as long as I could remember. The abuse was horrific, including beatings and sado-masochistic sex"

Thanks for the clarification - yup definitions and sampling ranges make huge differences. Thats why when quoting studies it is important to provide references.

And could not agree more with the rest of your post.

So I guess that is why Anonymous hates her.

nb

Apologies for my not getting it :)

Bleah, I need more sleep.