There is also the idea that the child will not be believed, and the idea that a child (or even an adult) might tell this humiliating and painful story only to be laughed at, ignored, or turned away, is too much for many of these victims to bear (Denov, 2003).
b. DSM-IV AND SEX OFFENDING
Paraphilias appear to be presented as a primarily male problem. An addendum to the section of Paraphilias reads: "Except for Sexual Masochism...Paraphilias are almost never diagnosed in females" (APA, 1994: 524). While the DSM criteria for many different issues and problems have changed throughout the years, it still appears to be very stereotypical when it comes to the idea of sexual abuse and sexual offense, which seems to relate to the training and socialization that many people have about this particular issue and the way that it makes them feel.
Even though the DSM-IV term 'almost never' indicates that it is not impossible for paraphilias to be diagnosed in females, it also sounds as though such events are so extremely rare that they really should not be assumed, expected, or looked for. This is, again, part of the training and socialization of society, since the belief that females do not commit sexual offenses is still so strong in those that have no first-hand experience with this issue. Only those that have been abused or have a family member that has been abused (and believe them) would see anything wrong with the DSM-IV statement and the negative and dismissive connotations that it provides when it comes to considering whether females might be sexual aggressors or commit sexual offenses.
B. INFORMAL CULTURES
While the formal culture provides an important source of occupational knowledge, informal talk and banter has long been considered a crucial component for understanding organizational cultures (Crank, 1998). The occupational culture is said to live through jokes and storytelling (Holdaway, 1997). In their routine activities, employees use informal verbal exchanges as critical sources of information about customs, procedures, and departmental lore and to create a way of seeing and being. In the constant telling of tales, values are cited and shared which instruct on how to see the world and act within it (Chan, 1996).
This is another way that individuals are trained and socialized, and it is sometimes considered to be more important, because much of formal culture and education is not always taken seriously or believed. What someone that is trusted has said through gossip or storytelling, however, often carries much more weight, especially to the younger individuals (Denov, 2003). Because of this, the informal culture that deals with information regarding sexual offenses committed by females is much more relaxed than what might be said in public.
For example, Nelson (1994) writes of a woman who complained that her 5-year-old son was molested by a female that was assigned to babysit him. She was frustrated and angry at the inaction of the police in charging the woman with a crime. When Nelson (1994) asked the male officer for comment later the officer responded "I wish that someone that looked like her (the babysitter) had sexually abused me when I was a kid... The kid's mother is overreacting because someone popped her kid's cherry. Hell, it's every guy's dream" (Nelson, 1994: 74). As can be seen from that, the male officer in question obviously did not see the 'crime' as a problem at all, and appeared to believe that every male would wish for 'sexual abuse' as a child from an attractive woman. This is termed by some researchers as the "fantasy model" and continues the idea of socialization, and the idea that women do not commit sexual offenses, presumably because the male victim of the sexual offense would not be expected to object to any type of sexual activity.
C. CULTURE OF DENIAL
Despite available evidence pointing to sexual aggression by females, professionals frequently portray female sex offenders as harmless, benign women incapable of sexual aggression. There appears to be three common techniques use to render the female sex offender harmless (Allen, 1987). First, although professionals recognize that a sexual offense has taken place, the female offender's acts are absolved by affirming that there was no malicious intent to her actions. Second, despite her sexually aggressive acts, she is portrayed as posing no threat or danger to the community. Finally, the circumstances surrounding the sexual offense are reconstructed and...
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