The issue of female sexual offenders and offending is one that has received limited attention within academic scholarship, particularly when compared with the more detailed exploration given to male sex offenders (see e.g., Robertiello & Terry, 2007). The six articles in this special edition bring together a variety of international (USA, UK, and Ireland) and multi-disciplinary (health, legal, criminological, and psychological) perspectives on female sex offending. Novel data and insights are provided on prevalence and predictors of female-perpetrated sexual violence, the lived experiences of victims, and criminal justice system responses. In exploring issues surrounding female sex offenders and offending, we want to be clear from the outset that this is not being done to detract from, undermine, or minimize the experiences of women as victims of male-perpetrated sexual violence, nor is this Special Issue comparing female sex offenders to their male equivalents. The purpose of the collection of work featured in this Special Issue is to highlight the importance of exploring a topic that is traditionally overlooked and to add to our understanding of the many forms that sexual violence can take.

中文翻译：

---

女性性犯罪者和犯罪

女性性犯罪者和犯罪问题在学术研究中受到的关注有限，尤其是与对男性性犯罪者进行的更详细的探索相比时（参见例如，Robertiello & Terry，2007）。本特刊中的六篇文章汇集了关于女性性犯罪的各种国际（美国、英国和爱尔兰）和多学科（健康、法律、犯罪学和心理）观点。提供了关于女性实施性暴力的流行率和预测因素、受害者的生活经历以及刑事司法系统反应的新数据和见解。在探讨围绕女性性犯罪者和犯罪的问题时，我们希望从一开始就明确指出，这样做并不是为了贬低、破坏、或尽量减少女性作为男性实施的性暴力受害者的经历，本特刊也不是将女性性犯罪者与男性同类进行比较。本特刊中精选的作品集的目的是强调探索一个传统上被忽视的主题的重要性，并增加我们对性暴力可能采取的多种形式的理解。