Public Perceptions of Female Sex Offenders Through Media Word Usage and Media Outlet Comments BY JAIMEE STUTZ A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Forensic Psychology California Baptist University School of Behavioral Sciences 2018 ii iii DEDICATION I dedicate this thesis to my late grandmother Jackie Stutz and my parents, Melody and Mitchell. Grandma Jackie, you sparked my interest in forensic psychology and constantly dedicated time to speak with me about deviant behaviors and their relationship to religion. We had thousands of meaningful conversations about that I daily think about during studies. I will never be able to thank you enough for your influence and I hope you would be proud of me. My parents. Thank you for all your support throughout my entire education from preschool until now. I would not have been able to complete this program without your constant encouragement and prefect educational role models. Thank you for everything you have done for me. iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Dr. Jenny Aguilar: You are an inspiration to me and I am SO thankful you were able to chair my thesis. Your vast amount of knowledge and encouragement throughout this process kept me sane. I appreciate all the time and input you dedicated to my work. Your words of encouragement during our meetings has made the idea of furthering my education a possibility and reality. Thank you. Mike: Your support and insight throughout my graduate career cannot go unnoticed. Through listening to my rambles about forensic psychology and allowing me to bounce ideas off of you for my thesis, your support means the world to me. I love you and thank you for all you do. Dr. Lones: I cannot express how thankful I am for your assistance and the knowledge you dispelled for my thesis. Thank you so much for your patience, expertise, and input throughout this process. Your encouragement and kind words will never be forgotten or underappreciated. Thank you. v ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS Public Perceptions of Female Sex Offenders Through Media Word Usage and Media Outlet Comments by Jaimee Stutz School of Behavioral Sciences Dr. Jenny E. Aguilar, Psy.D Thesis Committee Chairperson Dr. Billy Lones, J.D. Thesis Reader 2018 A lack of research currently exists on the public perception of female sex offenders and the implications this societal view may have for the future of female sex offender research and understanding. This study aims to explore the public perception of female sex offenders by examining multiple different online news outlet sites. News articles from Reddit, Penn Live, CBC News, SF Gate The New York Post, The East Bay Times, Arkansas Online News, The Sun U.K., Mercury News, 13 WHO TV Channel 13 News, and Fox News were located by searching keywords in the Google search engine. Using a qualitative coding method, 932 comments were collected and analyzed for their theme or subject matter. Six themes were uncovered from comments: vi sexualization of the offender, victim shaming/blaming, insensitive humor, double standards, victim gender, and denunciation of the offender. The results of the study confirm the initial hypothesis that the public expresses misunderstandings about female sex offenders through a high volume of victim shame/blame comments. vii Table of Contents DEDICATION...............................................iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS...........................................iv ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS.....................................v Chapter 1 THE PROBLEM STATEMENT............................1 THE PROBLEM STATEMENT ....................................2 Purpose of the Study ...................................2 Research Question ......................................3 Definition of Key Terms ................................3 Chapter 2 REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE.........................5 REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE .................................6 Etiology of Sexual Offending ...........................8 Female Sex Offenders vs. Male Sex Offenders ...........14 Female Sex Offenders ..................................21 Male and Female Offending Typologies ..................26 Impact of Female-Perpetrated Sexual Abuse .............41 Risk Assessment Tools .................................43 Public Perceptions of Sex Offender ....................47 CHAPTER 3 METHODOLOGY.....................................56 METHOD ..................................................57 viii Participants ..........................................57 Design ................................................58 Procedure .............................................60 Data Analysis .........................................60 CHAPTER 4 Results.........................................62 Results .................................................63 Introduction ..........................................63 Results ...............................................63 Sexualization .........................................65 Insensitive Humor .....................................68 Victim Shaming/Blame ..................................71 Double Standard .......................................73 Denunciation ..........................................76 Victim Gender .........................................79 Male Sex Offenders ....................................81 Summary ...............................................83 CHAPTER 5 DISCUSSION......................................85 DISCUSSION ..............................................86 Conclusions ...........................................86 Limitations ...........................................90 ix Future Study ..........................................92 References................................................93 Appendix A...............................................105 1 Chapter 1 THE PROBLEM STATEMENT 2 THE PROBLEM STATEMENT News outlets and media sites reflect the misunderstandings and incorrect public perceptions of female sex offenders and their ability to harm communities. News and social media sites fail to represent women as true offenders who greatly instill trauma into their victims. Female sex offenders and the crimes they commit against children and adolescents result in psychological disorders, trauma, and problems with forming healthy interpersonal relationships with others (Denov, 2003). Lack of research into and ignorance of female sex offenders and the trauma they produce both harms the victim and reduces the likelihood of the perpetrator facing consequences for their crimes. The public perception of female sex offenders must be evaluated to assess current public understanding of female sex offenders. Purpose of the Study The purpose of this study is to uncover the lack of understanding of media outlets and their readers of female- perpetrated sex crimes against children and adolescents (Zack, Lang & Dirks, 2016). By revealing the lack of understanding of the media and readers of the news, the work could lead to future research and law enforcement 3 agencies discovering new ways of treating and handling female sex offenders and their victims. Research Question The study is designed to answer questions regarding the ways popular media describes female sex offenders in their articles. The study seeks to discover whether or not male and female sex offenders experience different responses in terms of public perception. It will also search for common understandings or themes among the public about female sex offenders. Delimitations and Assumptions. The limitations faced when conducting the study began with the lack of current research on female sex offenders and the influence of the media on public perception. The entire research project is to be conducted anonymously and will not include any follow-up questions or explanations. Definition of Key Terms Pedophilia An adult who engages in sexual acts with a prepubescent child, not limited to penetrative sexual acts, but including viewing child pornography, oral sex, 4 fondling a child, and exposing themselves to a child (Erdogan, 2010). Cognitive distortion A thought, perception, or belief used to reinforce a negative thought or disallow an offender from taking responsibility for their own crimes (Marshall, Marshall, & Kingston, 2011). Child molester An individual who lacks sexual attraction to children, and who prefers adult sexual partners, but chooses a child/children due to availability and opportunity. Child molesters engages in sexual acts not limited to molestation, penetration, and copulation (Murray, 2000). 5 Chapter 2 REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE 6 REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE Sexual offending is a heinous crime, affecting multiple socioeconomic classes and individuals. Female sex offenders represent a unique and misunderstood offender in the criminal justice system. Female sexual offending research and identification has been hindered by cultural expectations and a lack of recognition. Current research on female sex offenders remains limited in terms of sample size and empirical data. Research mainly focuses on male sexual offenses and the impact their crimes have on communities (Strickland, 2008). Besides a research bias, the techniques the media uses to describe and report on female sex offenders shapes the public perception of these offenders. Understanding the media’s positive or negative view of female sex offenders will promote better education and understanding for future research (Landor, 2009). In general, sexual abuse includes a plethora of offenses ranging from exhibitionism, child pornography, and