When the Abuser Is a Woman: Female-on-Female Child Sexual Abuse

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When we think about child sexual abuse (CSA), we tend to picture a male perpetrator. This is understandable given that most CSA is in fact perpetrated by a male and only about 2% of all those incarcerated for sex crimes are women. However, as a consequence, these stereotypes then create blind spots, as victim-based research shows that between 12% to 14% of perpetrators of CSA are in fact female.

While there is considerably less known about females who perpetrate sex crimes than males, what we do know primarily from women who have been convicted of sexual abuse is that:

• The typical female sex offender is a white woman in her early 30s whose victims are children around age 12.
• Many have histories of physical and sexual abuse themselves and grew up in unstable home environments.
• They are more likely than the general population to struggle with personality disorders, mental health challenges, or substance use.
• Compared to male sex offenders, female sex offenders are less likely to have a prior criminal record and are at lower risk of reoffending after being caught.

Yet even within this understudied population, one group that remains almost entirely invisible are women who sexually abuse girls. To bridge this gap in understanding, a new study published in the journal Child Abuse & Neglect by our research team examined female-on-female child sexual abuse (FFCSA), among a sample of 63 adult survivors of FFCSA.

There were several key findings from the study:

1. The perpetrator was always someone the child knew. In 100% of cases, the female who perpetrated the abuse was known to the child. Most often she was an extended family member (21%), an acquaintance (19%), a friend (17%), or a friend of the family (11%). Only 8% of participants reported that the perpetrator was their mother, meaning the vast majority of FFCSA did not involve mother-daughter incest, which is what almost all prior research in this area has focused on.
2. The abuse typically began in childhood and was repeated. On average, survivors were 8 years old when the abuse started and about 10 when it ended, meaning the abuse lasted approximately two years. Half of the participants reported experiencing between two and ten abusive incidents, with some reporting more than 50 instances of abuse.
3. Sexual grooming was present in virtually all cases. Our research has previously found that sexual grooming occurs in 99% of cases of CSA with an average of 14.25 behaviors. This study found that survivors of FFCSA reported experiencing an average of 17 grooming behaviors out of 42 possible behaviors assessed. The most common grooming behaviors included:
   1. Creating activities alone with the child (84%).
   2. Engaging in childlike activities to gain trust (71%).
   3. Exposing the perpetrator's naked body to the child (65%).
   4. Showing the child attention (65%).
   5. Telling the child not to tell anyone (54%).
4. Disclosure rates were very low. While disclosure rates of CSA are low in general, in our study only two of the 63 participants, or approximately 3%, reported the abuse to law enforcement. Fewer than 1 in 4 (24%) told a social support person such as a friend or family member. These rates are even lower than what is typically found in broader studies of CSA disclosure, which already document very low rates of reporting.

Why Don't Survivors of FFCSA Come Forward?

Low disclosure rates in FFCSA could be the result of several factors:

• The "stranger danger" myth leads people to assume abuse is committed by unknown males, making it harder for children to recognize what is happening when the perpetrator is a known, trusted woman.
• Female caregiver stereotypes mean that red flag behaviors, such as bathing with a child or isolating a child, are seen as nurturing rather than concerning when done by a woman. Some survivors in our study were told "this is how people show love" or that the abuse was acceptable "since we were both girls."
• Shame and stigma surrounding FFCSA can leave survivors without language or a framework for what happened to them, which can make disclosure even harder.

What Can We Do to Prevent it?

Prevention education needs to expand beyond the male perpetrator model. Children should know that someone they know and trust can commit abuse regardless of gender, and that sexual grooming applies equally to female perpetrators. Parents, caregivers, and professionals must take disclosures seriously no matter who the alleged perpetrator is. For survivors of FFCSA, effective trauma-focused treatment is available, and it is never too late to seek support.

The Bottom Line

Female-on-female child sexual abuse is one of the most understudied forms of CSA, and that gap has real consequences. Survivors often struggle alone as they are unable to find stories that reflect their experience or resources designed with them in mind. Therapists working with this population frequently have little empirical guidance to draw on, because the research simply does not yet exist.

This study is an important first step, but it is only that. We need more research on the prevalence, dynamics, and long-term impacts of FFCSA before we can develop the prevention programs, clinical resources, and survivor support systems these individuals deserve.

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