E/CN.15/2014/CRP.1
women sampled had also engaged with such material.201 Some women are also reported to be among the clients of the
commercial sex trade, including international sex tourism. Because most research on female sexual abusers has been
conducted before the widespread nature of ICTs, however, little is known about current patterns of abuse.202
On the other hand, both men and women commit commercial sexual exploitation of children, though their roles
tend to differ depending on the concrete conduct involved. Male commercial sexual exploiters of children tend to be more
involved in the “practical” aspects of child abuse and exploitation, as they are usually better able to exert physical force to
abduct child victims and to enforce obedience through violence. Men may also forge feigned romantic relationships with
young female victims as a means of recruiting them into exploitation. Women, on the other hand, may more commonly
engage in the business end of operating commercial sexual exploitation of children enterprises, as well as, in some cases,
recruitment of victims through a process of “friendship” and trust-gaining.
The vast majority of cyber-enticement offenders are male. Though the most common dynamic involves an adult
male enticing or soliciting a female victim, victims may be both male and female. Generally, research has concluded that
women are seldom the primary actors in child sex abuse, including cyber-enticement, and that those who do participate in
such abuse may be motivated by a desire to please male co-actors.203 It is possible, in some contexts, that a low law
enforcement priority on detecting and investigating female offending conduct, leads to an underrepresentation of female
offending in public perception and crime statistics. 204
Harassing behaviour is more gender-neutral, both on- and offline. Men and women may equally engage in offline
stalking and in cyber-stalking, and can even be just as likely to resort to violence subsequent to harassing behaviour.
Victims, especially male victims, of harassment perpetrated by female offenders may be less likely to report victimization,
either because of embarrassment or because they do not consider that the harassment constitutes any serious threat to their
safety. However, male stalkers are shown to be more likely than women stalkers to ignore rejection by a victim.205
Gender similarly does not constitute a prominent feature in the profile of cyber-bullies.206 However, modes of
bullying may differ between male and female perpetrators. Whereas it is more common for girls to speak negatively about
others, boys are more likely to post negative pictures or videos.207
Age
In describing the age range of offenders, it is important to note that research over the last decade has centred on
offenders who reached the age of majority before the widespread accessibility of child sexual abuse material on the
Internet. As a result, information gaps exist with respect to the impact that current levels of access have on offending
profiles, including age. Research in the United States, for instance, on convicted child sexual abuse material offenders
__________________
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
Finkelhor, D., Ormrod, R. K., 2004. Child Pornography: Patterns from NIBRS. US Department of Justice Juvenile Justice
Bulletin; see also Aebi M., et al., 2012. Offender Types and Criminality Dimensions in Male Juveniles Convicted of Sexual
Offenses. Sexual Abuse . 24: 282.
Seigfried-Spellar K. C., Rogers, M. K., 2010. Low Neuroticism and High Hedonistic Traits for Female Internet Child
Pornography Consumers. Cyberpsychology, Behaviour, and Social Networking 13:634.
See Grayson, A., De Luca, R. V., 1999. Female Perpetrators Of Child Sexual Abuse: A Review Of The Clinical And Empirical
Literature. Aggression and Violent Behaviour, 4:93–106.
Brayley, H., Cockbain, E., 2012. Group-Based Child Sexual Exploitation. Available at
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/jdibrief/crime/child-sex-exploitation.
See for example, Hendriks J., Bijleveld, C.C.J.H, 2006. Female adolescent sex offenders—An exploratory study. Journal of
Sexual Aggression 12:33; Bexson, 2011. ‘The Ultimate Betrayal’. Female Child Sex Offenders. Internet Journal of
Criminology 2011:1-25; see also generally Denov, M. S., 2004. Perspectives on female sex offending: A culture of denial; van
der Put, C., van Vugt, E., Stams, G. J., Hendriks, J., 2012. Psychosocial and Developmental Characteristics of Female
Adolescents Who Have Committed Sexual Offenses. Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment 25:41-68; van der
Put, C. E., 2013. The prevalence of risk factors for general recidivism in female adolescent sexual offenders: A comparison of
three subgroups. Child Abuse & Neglect 37:691-697.
University of Houston, Stalking and Cyber-stalking, Available at http://www.uh.edu/wrc/safety-and-violenceprevention/stalking%20/index.php.
Görzig, A., 2011. Who bullies and who is bullied online?: a study of 9 - 16 year old internet users in 25 European countries.
EU Kids Online network. P. 5.
Cyberbullying Research Center, Research in Review (2004-2010). Available at http://www.cyberbullying.us/research.php.
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