BREAKING THE LAST TABOO - CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE BY FEMALE PERPETRATORS

In the past two decades the truth about the sexual violation of childr en has been spoken over and over. Finally, the magnitude of this probl em is being recognised. Volumes have been written about the prevention of and intervention in child sexual abuse, and services (although ina dequate) have been established Sexual abuse by women until recently, h as been treated as a taboo subject. The knowledge that the overwhelmin g proportion of child sexual abuse is perpetrated by males left the is sue of female perpetrators unexamined. Having only recently made progr ess in a hard-fought battle to place gender and male power at the cent re of an analysis of sexual abuse, practitioners and theoreticians are understandably reluctant to focus any attention on female abusers. Ho wever it is now becoming clear that a significant minority of victims are abused by women and it is essential that no child should be silenc ed by ideology which deities the reality of abuse by females. This art icle examines the controversies surrounding the issue of female sexual abuse and the struggles which we have in confronting this abuse. An e xplanation of sexual abuse by women within feminist understanding is p roposed. Current evidence on the prevalence of female sexual abuse and characteristics of perpetrators is outlined. Practice implications fo r practitioners working with child victims or adult survivors are expl ored.