Mcleod NOFSW 14 handout

David Axlyn McLeod PhD, MSW

Out of Sight, Out of Mind: Addressing the Reality & Uniqueness of Female Child Sexual Offending in the US 25 July 14

Problem 2

Research

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Background information about child sexual abuse

Research I’ve conducted in the area

Future 19 How things could move forward and what new

and the role of female offenders

questions we need to ask

Transdisciplinary Background My experience in over 16 years of working toward the goal of child protection suggests our systems are much more connected than we treat them.

Law Enforcement • • •

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SV Detective LR metro SWAT (Team, Preparation, Action) Founding MDT member (Career shifting experience)

CPS •

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Juvenile Aggressor Investigator Drug Endangered Children (DEC) Task Force

Clinical • • •

NGRI Assessment Sex Offender Treatment Psychosexual Risk Evaluation for Court Systems

Research • • • • •

Forensic Trauma Victimology Criminal Psychopathology Traumatology / Neuroscience Violence Prevention

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25 July 14

CSA Epidemic

McLeod

• 1 out of 4 (24.7%) females is sexually assaulted as a child • 1 out of 6 (16%) males is sexually assaulted as a child • 82.8% of sexual assaults occur before the victim reaches the age of 25 • 14 years of age is the modal age for sexual assault victimization • Over 66% of sexual assault victims reported no visible physical injuries • 54% of female sexual assault survivors endured their first rape at 17 years of age or younger • Only 2% of reported sexual assaults have been determined to be false reports • (80-­‐‑90%) of children are molested by family members and close friends or acquaintances.

• 203,830 rape/sexual victimizations reported to authorities in 2009 • 16% of all sexual assaults are actually reported to the police • Over 1.2 million survivors of sexual assault in the United States in 2009 (based on above statistic)

Up to 10 times as many children were sexually victimized in 2009 than contracted polio in 1952

McLeod

25 July 14

Are we buying the myths that protect offenders, or the realities that could protect our children?

Female Sexual Offenders The Myths • • • • •

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The Reality • • • • • •

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15% to 20% of child sexual offenses involve a female perpetrator 60% -­‐‑ 92% of FSO'ʹs have multiple victims FSO'ʹs are less likely to be identified than their male counterparts FSO'ʹs are more likely to offend on their own biological children FSO'ʹs are less discriminating about gender than MSO'ʹs FSO'ʹs, as well as younger victims, are more likely to be reported to CPS than LE Represent less than 1% of -­‐‑ incarcerated sex offenders in US

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Females do not sexually abuse Females only abuse if coerced or accompanied by a man If females sexually abuse, it is gentle, loving or misguided "ʺmotherly love"ʺ Females only abuse boys If you are a female and you were abused by a female then you will be lesbian; if male gay or misogynist If you were sexually abused as a child you will sexually abuse as an adult People who say they were abused by a female are fantasizing or lying. If you are male and you are having sexual fantasies and if the perpetrator was your mother you are having incestuous wishes. If you are female you are muddled and it was a man who really abused you Women only abuse adolescents If a thirty-­‐‑year-­‐‑old woman were to seduce a thirteen-­‐‑year-­‐‑old boy, it would not be sexual abuse. If a thirty year old man were to seduce a thirteen year old girl, it would undoubtedly be so If a mother has an incestuous relationship with her son in his late teens/early twenties it is sex between two consenting adults and not sexual abuse It is worse to be sexually abused by a woman than a man

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McLeod

25 July 14

Media Portrayals of Female Sexual Offending

Pamela Rogers (McMinnville TN) -­‐‑ W/F 27 -­‐‑ 13 yo Male victim -­‐‑ 9 month sentence -­‐‑ violated probation sexting minors

Carrie McCandless (Brighton, CO) -­‐‑ W/F 29 -­‐‑ 17 yo Male victim -­‐‑ 45 day sentence -­‐‑ violated probation (parole officer found in bed with another parolee)

Debra Lafave (Temple Terrace, FL) -­‐‑ W/F 24 -­‐‑ 14 yo Male victim -­‐‑ sentenced to 3 years house arrest -­‐‑ almost had probation revoked -­‐‑ texting an underage coworker

What can be learned from these cases (aside from that the media completely distorts public perception)?

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Look at their re-­‐‑arrests and probation violations o emotional attachment o inability to form proper boundaries o relationship based offending o return to victims Gender and the court

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Mary Kay Letourneau -­‐‑ Fualaau (Burian, WA) -­‐‑ W/F 34 -­‐‑ 12 yo Male victim -­‐‑ sentenced to 3 months -­‐‑ violated terms of release and became pregnant by victim -­‐‑ Married victim after final release from prison

All women have a similar physical appearance All are teachers Victim ages are similar All victims are male

The “Hot for Teacher Trope” trope trōp/ 1. a figurative or metaphorical use of a word or expression.

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A Constructivist Approach to the Literature Review

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Theory Psychodynamic The influence of psychodynamic theory is evident in much of the current literature. Emphasizing the manner by which the mind stimulates behavior, and how deficits are products of a failure to resolve problems in an earlier period of life, the application of psychodynamic theory in the exploration of female sexual offenders focuses on the offender herself and the personal deficits that drive her offending behavior.

Behaviorist

Behaviorist positions tend to describe a persons behavior as the byproduct of life events, or antecedents. Exploring female sexual offending behaviors from this framework focuses first on the behavior itself rather than the deficits of the individual. Behaviorist approaches, put simply, focus on the manner by which an individual has been conditioned by trauma and other life events to behave in a particular manner.

Attachment (where I would like to take research in the area)

The theory suggests the dynamics of relationships between humans are fundamentally influenced by manner in which individuals “attach” to caregivers in early childhood. Put simply deficits in perception of security and safety in childhood could have significant effects on appropriate boundary development and positive relationships in adulthood. While attachment theory has been seldom used to describe the cyclical nature of female sexual offending in the literature, future neuroscientifically informed research on the subject could find its application useful.

FSO Typologies

Null Hypothesis Perpetrator gender has no impact on the manner by which child sexual abuse cases enter child protective services, the types of services delivered and received by the family systems while active, and the disposition and notifications associated with these cases upon system exit.

Research Questions •

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RQ1 = Does a national CPS data sample reflect demographic and offense characteristics, for female child sexual offenders and their victims, in a manner consistent with the state of current literature?

RQ2 = To what degree does perpetrator gender impact CPS system entry and system exit in reference to child sexual abuse allegations?

RQ3 = Can particular case characteristics, as related to CPS services, be clustered in a manner that predicts offender gender?

RQ4 = Do other victim, or offender, demographic, or offense, characteristics impact the trajectory of these cases?

RQ5 = To what degree is child sexual assault substantiation impacted by perpetrator gender?

Moving the Area Forward

Data & Methodology

The Data

• National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS) -­‐‑ (Child File FFY2010) o All reports of child abuse and neglect in US for 2010 (N>3.5 million cases) o Collected by the Children'ʹs Bureau (US DHHS) o 49 participating states, DC, & Puerto Rico • National Data Archive on Child Abuse and Neglect o Cornell University o Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research • Summer Research Institute o Fully Funded on-­‐‑site in Ithaca

The Working Sample • Sample logic model (filtering) o Only cases involving sexual abuse (n=279,440) o Perpetrator 1'ʹs gender was listed o Perpetrator 1 was responsible for maltreatment type 1 o Maltreatment 1 was sexual abuse o Maltreatment 1 was substantiated • Final working sample (n=66,765) Develop theoretically informed models to assess gendered differences as associated with child sexual offenders and the differential nature by which they travel through our CPS system.

Findings | RQ1 Does a National CPS Data Sample Reflect Demographic and Offense Characteristics for Female Child Sexual Offenders, in a Manner Consistent with the State of Current Literature?

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Prosecution referral o Male = 69.3% vs. Female 72.4% (p<.000)

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Rates by Perpetrator Gender o 20.9% of cases listed perpetrator 1 as female o (13,492 females) o 15-­‐‑20% in the literature

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Gender of victims o Male perpetrators victims (19.3% male 80.5% female) o Female perpetrators victims (31.8% male 68% female) o t-­‐‑test (p<.000, t=25.445, df=64,434, mean diff=.125)

Victim Age

Findings | RQ2

System Exit

System Entry

To What Degree Does Perpetrator Gender Impact CPS System Entry and Exit in Reference to Child Sexual Abuse Allegations?

Findings | RQ3 | Social & Economic Status Can Particular Case Characteristics, as Related to CPS Services, Be Clustered in a Manner That Predicts Offender Gender?

IV’s =

• • •

Inadequate housing Money or financial problems Public assistance

n=27,035 (5,566 female), chi2=13.801, df=1, p<.000 (predicted 78.9% accurate)

Findings | RQ3 | Family Centered Can Particular Case Characteristics, as Related to CPS Services, Be Clustered in a Manner That Predicts Offender Gender?

IV’s =

• • • •

Post Investigation Services Family Support Services Family Preservation Services Foster Care Services

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Juvenile Court Petition Court Appointed Representative Adoption Services Case Management Services

n=17,428 (2,856 female), chi2=65.894, df=3, p<.000 (predicted 83.6% accurate)

Findings | RQ3 | Mental Health & Substance Abuse Can Particular Case Characteristics, as Related to CPS Services, Be Clustered in a Manner That Predicts Offender Gender?

IV’s =

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Counseling Services Mental Health Services Substance Abuse Services

n=33.221 (7,164 female), chi2=3.266, df=1, p<.071 (predicted 79% accurate)

Findings | RQ3 | Financial Can Particular Case Characteristics, as Related to CPS Services, Be Clustered in a Manner That Predicts Offender Gender?

IV’s =

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Day Care Services Educational and Training Services Employment Services Family Planning Services

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Housing Services Independent and Transitional Living Services Legal Services Transportation Services

n=28,369 (6,190 female), chi2=3.960, df=1, p<.047 (predicted 78.5% accurate)

Findings | RQ4 | Victim Risk Do Victim or Offender Risk or Personal Characteristics Impact the Ability to Predict Perpetrator Gender in These Cases?

IV’s =

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Alcohol Abuse Child Drug Abuse Child Mental Retardation Child Emotionally Disturbed Child Visually or Hearing Impaired Child

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Learning Disability Child Physically Disabled Child Behavior Problem Child Other Medical Condition Child Child was a Prior Victim

n=26,663 (5,903 female), chi2=6.434, df=2, p=.040 (predicted 77.9% accurate)

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Findings | RQ4 | Offender Age Do Victim or Offender Risk or Personal Characteristics Impact the Ability to Predict Perpetrator Gender in These Cases?

Can offender age distributions help us understand high-risk ranges of active offending behaviors?

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Findings | RQ4 | Offender Relationship Do Victim or Offender Risk or Personal Characteristics Impact the Ability to Predict Perpetrator Gender in These Cases?

IV’s =

• Biological Parent • Step Parent • Adoptive Parent

• Caretaker • Prior Abuser

n=21,066 (8,418 female), chi2=17.107, df=5, p=.004 (predicted 66.1% accurate)

Findings | RQ4 | Offender Risk Do Victim or Offender Risk or Personal Characteristics Impact the Ability to Predict Perpetrator Gender in These Cases?

IV’s =

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Alcohol Abuse Caretaker Drug Abuse Caretaker Mental Retardation Caretaker Emotionally Disturbed

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Visually or Hearing Impaired Caretaker Learning Disability Caretaker Physically Disabled Caretaker Other Medical Condition Caretaker Domestic Violence (in the home)

n=28,079 (5,740 female), chi2=27,891, df=2, p<.000 (predicted 80.2% accurate)

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Findings | RQ5 To What Degree is Child Sexual Assault Substantiation Impacted by Perpetrator Gender?

When the larger sample was recoded to examine the impact of gender (DV) on substantiation (IV) in sexual abuse allegations a difference of significance was observed (n=51,607, t=10,123,

The mean difference was observed to be .04098 on a scale from 0 to 1.

In allegations of sexual abuse, males are substantiated at higher rates (4%), while women were substantiated at higher rates with other maltreatment types. Â

Thank you for your time and let me know if there is ever anything I can do for you.

David Axlyn McLeod, PhD, MSW

University of Oklahoma

College of Arts and Sciences Assistant Professor | Anne and Henry Zarrow School of Social Work Affiliate Faculty | Women's & Gender Studies & Center for Social Justice Faculty Associate | Knee Center for Strong Families ZH 305 | 405.325.4647 damcleod@ou.edu | www.damcv.com | @mcleodda