Bad Bad Teacher!: How Judicial Lenience, Cultural Ignorance, and Media Hype Have Inevitably Lead to Lighter Sentences, Underreporting and Glamorization of Female Sex Offenders by Stephanie S. Reidlinger (Regent Law 2010) is an analysis of female-perpetrated sex crimes against school children. She argues persuasively that in order to ensure the safety of school-aged children as well as the even-handed application of the law, treatment of female sex offenses must change in the following ways: (1) there must be less media hype and glamorization directed at cases involving young, attractive females and school-age boys; (2) societal norms excusing sexual experimentation between young boys and mature women must change; and (3) women must be exposed to the potential consequences and detriments associated with sexual relationships with school-age boys.
This article explores the phenomenon of female-perpetrated crimes from a variety of angles. After an introduction in Section I, Section II investigates statistical trends of female abusers on both the national and state level. A handful of states are examined to showcase changes in the percentages of females being incarcerated for sexually-based offenses. That section further scrutinizes a set of cases from 2007-2008 in an effort to compare the conviction and sentencing rate female teachers against state sentencing guidelines. Section II also offers a glimpse at the typical female offender and victim profiles. While there are many differences between female offenders and male offenders, there are striking commonalities as well. Then section III explains common theories why young male victims have been historically hesitant to report sexual abuse by older females. These theories include anything from a feeling of honor to embarrassment. Section III also discusses a jury’s hesitation to heavily convict and sentence a defendant when she is female and her victim is a young boy. This section will look at the different reasons why women offend as well as blatant double standards in recent case law. Lastly, section IV encourages positive solutions to this emerging, yet hardly discussed, sensitive problem.
Women school teachers who take sexual advantage of their students need to be held accountable, and made aware of the consequences of their actions. Reidlinger argues that this begins with increased requirements to place convicted women on the sex offender registry. Conviction and sentencing rates must also increase to become equal with male offenders; encouraging equal time for equal crimes.
Read the entire article here.
The way female sex offenders are treated in relation to male sex offenders is a total double standard, which I think Stephanie points out very well.
ReplyDeleteI find it particularly interesting (and embarrassing) that our courts have failed to adequately address this problem – examples of cases in point being Minnesota v. Carlson and Missouri v. Coffel. I am certain that if the predators in those cases were men, they would have definitely received harsher and longer sentences.
I was also surprised to read about the statistic on male rapists, in which two thirds of them report being sexually abused as children by females. This statistic ultimately signifies that the low levels of reported sexual abuse by males is more likely than not completely inaccurate, which again goes to the crux of Stephanie’s argument that our society has not been effective and proactive with combating this problem.
I definitely think that there is a double standard as well. If it were a male teacher and a female student they would be up in arms but because it is a female teacher and male student many would say he was lucky. Sexual abuse is sexual abuse no matter who the victim is. We also run the risk that if these crimes are not always considered with the harshness they should be, then many of these crimes may go unreported.
ReplyDeleteI was also surprised about the statistic about male rapists having been formerly abused by females. There is not much publicized to the masses about this fact. Society is not combating the problem as they should be, not to mention the psychological effects these children will face because of the abuse they endured.
Excellent article and one I think a number of law enforcement agencies would be interested in. Coming from a criminology background I thought that the breakdown of the 4 types of offenders was great and I think would defiitely help detectives in their investigations becasue of how totally distinct each of those categories were, from the first being essenitally a non-vilent group that can be explained by the rationalization they engage in for thier acts to a predatory group at the other extreme. I will say this though, I think the media is a large part to blame both for the reasons Stephanie pointed out in the "hype" that has been given some of these cases but also on the other end of in a lack of media coverage and awareness out there on this issue and really female crime in general. This is a big deal, because as Stepahnie pointed out the perception the juries have on these issues does not seem to take in consideration how serious this growning threat is, and again, that comes back to the media not reporting these issues and then "sensationalizing" the ones that they do as the article and introdcution pointed out. Having written an article on gangs and working on gang issues the past few years I have seen how across the nation certain areas of crime can fly under the radar for years and then hit us from every angle when the media finally finds out how serious the threat is and I think that female sex offenders are too flying under the radar and it will only be a matter of time before this issue will also come to the forefront. Great article Stephanie.
ReplyDeleteGreat job Stephanie.
ReplyDeleteThis obvious double standard between male and female child molesters has bothered me for some time. The police, the courts and the public should see them in the same light as their male counterparts. A child molester is a child molester.
About a year ago, a friend and I decided to go to the movies to see the Reader (Kate Winslet, Ralph Fiennes and David Kross). We did not know anything about the movie but we thought the movie was set during World War II. Well, he was 15, she was 36 and we were disgusted.
The public as a whole is intrigued by these women (at least until it is their son she has victimized) and it is extremely disturbing.
Its a nice blog posted by you. I was seeking for this type of blog that have a fresh and interesting content. I also have a really nice site where you can find female sexual enhancer and Female Libido Enhancement. Please have a look on it.
ReplyDeleteMMMMMM... I have a solution. First off anyone that gives a women a free pass simply for being hot can f off. This is what we have often done as a society is let an attractive female sex offender off the hook. Why? They reject decent normal men there own age and sleep with 13 year olds? Make them pay. In this country it's always the same bullshit excuse...boo hoo..I was depressed, had bipolar that's why I did. Mmmmm interesting. When I am depressed I can't think of a time where I thought about boinking a 13 year old girl. This is insane. These bitches do this for two reasons only. Power and "Can I get away with this?" Often attractive beautiful women have the easiest lives. These bitches are spoiled, pampered and even happily married when offending. And they want to play victim? This is the princess syndrome. This is the defintion of a CUNT! Cannot understand normal thinking and they don't want to. They test limits. Absolutely sick. I do not condone violence but what I think is needed here especially for some of these barbies is a good old fasioned ass whipping and a caining in public. Then take a trip to Africa where there are real problems. Then you can cry. You should be thankful you are attractive and stop acting like a CUNT! Your lives here are too easy---you get bored--this is why they do this to piss off the public because they know no judge will sentence these evil bitches. Give us a break. "Oh..I cannot handle being beautiful!!!" Gosh darn....what a hardship. BITCHES!!!!!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDelete