Mental Health Problems in Girls Who Committed Sexual Offenses: Similarities and Differences Compared to Girls With Non-sex Offenses and Boys With Sex Offenses.

Madleina Manetsch,Thomas Grisso,Daniel Hermann,Claudia Van Der Put,Cyril Boonmann,Rebecca J Nelson Aguiar

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.721927

Abstract

Female juvenile offenders have only recently shifted into the focus of research. Moreover, a specific subgroup, female juveniles who sexually offended (JSO) are greatly overlooked. Therefore, there is a dearth of knowledge regarding the characteristics of female JSOs. The aim of the current study was to explore mental health problems (MHP) of female JSOs in more detail. Moreover, we compared their mental health with female juveniles who committed non-sexual offenses (JNSOs) and male JSOs. The sample comprised 33 female JSOs (Mean age 14.5, SD 1.8), 33 age-matched female JNSOs, and 33 age-matched male JSOs. We used the Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument-version 2 to examine MHP. Although both internalizing and externalizing MHP were not uncommon in female JSOs, they reported fewer problems than female JNSOs. No differences were found between female and male JSOs. With regard to their mental health profile, female JSOs resemble male JSOs more than female JNSOs. These results should be taken into account in the assessment and treatment of this group. However, more research is needed.

Highlights

Sexual offenses committed by juvenile females have rarely been the focus of research or clinical practice
Experienced sexual victimization outside the family and social isolation, were more common in the sexual offending group. These results generally suggest that female juveniles who sexually offended (JSO) show less externalizing, but more internalizing mental health problems (MHP) compared to female juveniles who committed non-sexual offenses (JNSOs)
Our results showed that both internalizing and externalizing MHP were not uncommon in female JSOs, to a lesser extent than their female counterparts without sexual offenses (JNSOs)

Summary

Introduction

Sexual offenses committed by juvenile females have rarely been the focus of research or clinical practice. This lack of interest is due to various reasons, such as the assumption that females do not commit sexual crimes, the low prevalence of these types of crimes in females, and the belief that sex offenses committed by females are less harmful (Oliver and Holmes, 2015). The number of female offenders entering the juvenile justice system, including female juveniles who committed sex offenses (JSOs), has risen alarmingly (Yeater et al, 2015). Dire is the fact that the juvenile justice system (i.e., court, criminal justice, and prison), including assessment and treatment, seems to be more tailored toward male offenders than toward female offenders (Plotch et al, 1996). We compare MHP in female JSOs to female juvenile non-sexual offenders (JNSOs) and to male JSOs

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Conclusion