The perceptions of diverted female youth sex offenders regarding the factors that contributed to their offending

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University of Pretoria

Abstract

A comprehensive literature review indicated that there is a dearth of research focusing on female youth sex offenders and even less is known about the perceptions of female youth sex offenders regarding the factors that contributed to their offending. This study explores the perceptions of female youth sex offenders regarding their reasons for offending. The female youth sex offenders in this study indicated that various factors as discussed below contributed to their offending. The empirical findings of this study confirmed that female youth sex offenders are of the opinion that certain problems within their families possibly contributed to their offending behaviour. Some of these characteristics include factors such as divorce, poor parenting skills, domestic violence, substance abuse and lack of basic care and safety, just to mention a few. Female youth sex offenders’ lack of assertiveness, low self-esteem and identity issues were other factors that most probably contributed to their sexual offending. When taking into account that the majority of the participants’ parents were unemployed, poverty was another factor that most likely played a contributory role. Due to poverty in the household some of these youth were forced to relocate to Girls’ Homes, change schools or drop out of school. In order to curb female youth sex offending one would need to address these factors in a multidisciplinary and holistic manner. This study reports an in-depth qualitative understanding of the perceptions of female youth sex offenders regarding factors that contributed to their offending. In addition the last objective of this study will be the formulation of recommendations to address female youth sex offending more effectively.

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Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2014.

Keywords

Child, Adolescence and adolescent, Puberty, Child sexual abuse, Youth offender, Female youth sex offender, Sexual offence, Sexual activities, Diversion, Ecological Systems Approach, UCTD

Sustainable Development Goals

Citation

DaCosta, GE 2014, The perceptions of diverted female youth sex offenders regarding the factors that contributed to their offending, MA dissertation, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, viewed yymmdd <http://hdl.handle.net/2263/42574>