Mother-son incest: confronting a prejudice.

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Sociology
• Criminology

Background:

• Child sexual abuse by female perpetrators is underreported and poorly understood.
• Cultural biases contribute to the underestimation of female offenders.
• Mother-child incest was historically considered rare, highlighting a knowledge gap.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the proposition that female perpetrators of child sexual abuse are underestimated.
• To explore predisposing factors for sexual abuse in both male and female offenders.
• To analyze the impact of societal changes on the incidence of child sexual abuse.

Main Methods:

• Literature review on female sexual offending.
• Analysis of existing data on offender demographics.
• Case study of mother-son incest to illustrate societal prejudices.

Main Results:

• Evidence suggests a significant underestimation of child sexual abuse cases involving female perpetrators.
• A discrepancy exists between male and female offender rates, potentially due to reporting biases.
• Societal prejudices hinder the recognition and study of female sexual offenders.

Conclusions:

• The incidence of child sexual abuse by women is likely underestimated for both male and female victims.
• Evolving gender roles in Western societies may correlate with an increase in female perpetration of child sexual abuse.
• Further research is needed to address societal biases and improve understanding of female sexual offending.