When the Abuser Is a Woman: Female-on-Female Child Sexual Abuse
Female-on-female child sexual abuse involves grooming and low disclosure rates.
Posted June 2, 2026 | Reviewed by Jessica Schrader
When we think about child sexual abuse (CSA), we tend to picture a male perpetrator. This is understandable given that most CSA is in fact perpetrated by a male and only about 2% of all those incarcerated for sex crimes are women. However, as a consequence, these stereotypes then create blind spots, as victim-based research shows that between 12% to 14% of perpetrators of CSA are in fact female.
While there is considerably less known about females who perpetrate sex crimes than males, what we do know primarily from women who have been convicted of sexual abuse is that:
Yet even within this understudied population, one group that remains almost entirely invisible are women who sexually abuse girls. To bridge this gap in understanding, a new study published in the journal Child Abuse & Neglect by our research team examined female-on-female child sexual abuse (FFCSA), among a sample of 63 adult survivors of FFCSA.
There were several key findings from the study:
Why Don't Survivors of FFCSA Come Forward?
Low disclosure rates in FFCSA could be the result of several factors:
What Can We Do to Prevent it?
Prevention education needs to expand beyond the male perpetrator model. Children should know that someone they know and trust can commit abuse regardless of gender , and that sexual grooming applies equally to female perpetrators. Parents, caregivers, and professionals must take disclosures seriously no matter who the alleged perpetrator is. For survivors of FFCSA, effective trauma-focused treatment is available, and it is never too late to seek support.
Female-on-female child sexual abuse is one of the most understudied forms of CSA, and that gap has real consequences. Survivors often struggle alone as they are unable to find stories that reflect their experience or resources designed with them in mind. Therapists working with this population frequently have little empirical guidance to draw on, because the research simply does not yet exist.
This study is an important first step, but it is only that. We need more research on the prevalence, dynamics, and long-term impacts of FFCSA before we can develop the prevention programs, clinical resources, and survivor support systems these individuals deserve.
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Winters, G.M., Jeglic, E.L., Johnson, B.N., & Petras-Gourlay, A. (2026). Female-on-female child sexual abuse. Child Abuse & Neglect, 177, 108085. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2026.108085
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Elizabeth Jeglic, Ph.D. , is a clinical psychologist and a professor of psychology at John Jay College who studies sexual violence prevention.
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This article is part of the Bringwise Psychology Journal — daily insights on human behavior, mental health, and personal growth.