Abstract Title
Perceptions & Stereotypes About Female Sex Offenders
Additional Funding Sources
The project described was supported by the Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program through the U.S. Department of Education under Award No. P217A170273.
Abstract
For generations, sexual abuse has been viewed as a silent crime as it is often kept a secret. In 2018, the NCVS estimates there were 734,640 incidents of sexual assault in the U.S. but only 24.9% of those were reported to police. Official statistics indicate that most sex offenders are male, but these statistics include only offenses reported to the officials. Research indicates that sexual offenses committed by females do occur though they are rarely reported to authorities because of gender stereotypes and other factors. Gender has a large influence on perceptions and attitudes about who can be a perpetrator. I explored the perceptions and attitudes of Boise State students by conducting a survey on gender stereotypes, sexual offenses, and female sex offenders in order to examine how perceptions about gender impact attitudes toward sexual violence.
Perceptions & Stereotypes About Female Sex Offenders
For generations, sexual abuse has been viewed as a silent crime as it is often kept a secret. In 2018, the NCVS estimates there were 734,640 incidents of sexual assault in the U.S. but only 24.9% of those were reported to police. Official statistics indicate that most sex offenders are male, but these statistics include only offenses reported to the officials. Research indicates that sexual offenses committed by females do occur though they are rarely reported to authorities because of gender stereotypes and other factors. Gender has a large influence on perceptions and attitudes about who can be a perpetrator. I explored the perceptions and attitudes of Boise State students by conducting a survey on gender stereotypes, sexual offenses, and female sex offenders in order to examine how perceptions about gender impact attitudes toward sexual violence.