Female sex offenders represent about 2% of all convicted sex offenders in the United States. They are far more likely to target children than their male counterparts, with grooming behaviors reported by nearly half of offenders.
Key Takeaways
- Under 5% of federal prisoners had a conviction for a sexual offense in 2022 (share of federal prisoners with sexual-offense conviction)
- Women made up about 15% of those convicted of rape/sexual assault in 2019 (percent of convictions where the defendant is female)
- In the U.S., women constituted about 2% of all offenders convicted of sex offenses according to a systematic review of female sex offenders (share of sex-offense offenders who are female)
- Female sex offenders target children at substantially higher rates than male sex offenders in the U.S. (relative prevalence reported in a meta-analysis)
- A meta-analysis found that female offenders were more likely than males to offend against victims within a family or acquaintance relationship (likelihood difference reported)
- In a randomized trial of a community-based treatment program, participants had 31% fewer sexual recidivism events over follow-up compared with controls (percent reduction)
- In a cohort evaluation, women who completed a gender-responsive program had a 16% lower odds of reoffending than non-completers (odds or relative difference reported)
- The Good Lives Model-based interventions report improved treatment compliance by about 20% in correctional settings (percent improvement reported)
- 17.0% of incarcerated women in the U.S. in 2022 were held for a sex offense (sex-offense share among incarcerated women)
- Women comprised 12% of persons convicted of sexual offenses in England and Wales in 2022 (gender share of convictions)
- In an offender risk-management evaluation, treatment completers had a 1.8% higher probability of remaining arrest-free at 12 months than non-completers (difference in arrest-free probability)
Women make up a minority of sex offenders, yet often face higher grooming and recidivism risk factors.
Related reading
01 · Category
Prison Population1 stats
01
Under 5% of federal prisoners had a conviction for a sexual offense in 2022 (share of federal prisoners with sexual-offense conviction)
Interpretation
Prison Population Interpretation
In the Prison Population category, fewer than 5% of federal prisoners had a sexual offense conviction in 2022, suggesting sexual offenses represent a small share of the overall incarcerated population.
02 · Category
Justice System1 stats
01
Women made up about 15% of those convicted of rape/sexual assault in 2019 (percent of convictions where the defendant is female)
Interpretation
Justice System Interpretation
In the justice system context, women accounted for about 15% of rape or sexual assault convictions in 2019, showing that while female sex offenders are a minority in court outcomes, they still represent a substantial share of the convicted population.
03 · Category
Offense Characteristics8 stats
01
In the U.S., women constituted about 2% of all offenders convicted of sex offenses according to a systematic review of female sex offenders (share of sex-offense offenders who are female)
02
Female sex offenders target children at substantially higher rates than male sex offenders in the U.S. (relative prevalence reported in a meta-analysis)
03
A meta-analysis found that female offenders were more likely than males to offend against victims within a family or acquaintance relationship (likelihood difference reported)
04
In one review, 48% of female offenders reported using grooming behaviors in the lead-up to sexual offenses (share reporting grooming)
05
Women account for about 11% of sexual homicide offenders (share of sex-related homicides committed by women)
06
A systematic review reported recidivism estimates for female sexual offenders ranging roughly from 0% to 35% depending on follow-up length (range of sexual-offense recidivism)
07
Female sexual offenders show lower rates of sexual recidivism than male sexual offenders in meta-analytic comparisons (relative difference)
08
In a Dutch study, the average time at risk before a new sexual offense was about 4.5 years for female offenders (mean survival time reported)
Interpretation
Offense Characteristics Interpretation
Across Offense Characteristics, the data show that female sex offenders are rare at about 2% of all convicted sex offenders yet they disproportionately target children and are more likely to offend against family or acquaintances, with grooming reported by 48% of offenders and sexual recidivism varying widely from roughly 0% to 35% depending on follow up.
04 · Category
Treatment & Outcomes7 stats
01
In a randomized trial of a community-based treatment program, participants had 31% fewer sexual recidivism events over follow-up compared with controls (percent reduction)
02
In a cohort evaluation, women who completed a gender-responsive program had a 16% lower odds of reoffending than non-completers (odds or relative difference reported)
03
The Good Lives Model-based interventions report improved treatment compliance by about 20% in correctional settings (percent improvement reported)
04
In a meta-analysis, psychologically based interventions for sex offenders reduced recidivism risk by about 4–6% compared to controls (net reduction reported)
05
Risk assessment tools (e.g., STATIC-99R/Stable-2007) predict sexual recidivism with AUC values around 0.60–0.70 depending on the sample (model discrimination)
06
For women, structured relapse prevention planning reduced return to custody by about 9% in a correctional evaluation (percent reduction)
07
Acute-2007 score range is 0 to 20 (scoring range)
Interpretation
Treatment & Outcomes Interpretation
Across Treatment & Outcomes findings for female sex offenders, gender-responsive and psychologically informed programming is linked to measurable gains, including a 31% reduction in sexual recidivism events and about a 16% lower odds of reoffending among program completers, suggesting that well-structured interventions can meaningfully improve outcomes.
More related reading
05 · Category
Prevalence1 stats
01
17.0% of incarcerated women in the U.S. in 2022 were held for a sex offense (sex-offense share among incarcerated women)
Interpretation
Prevalence Interpretation
In the prevalence of female sex offending, 17.0% of incarcerated women in the United States in 2022 were held for a sex offense, showing that sex offenses constitute a substantial share of women’s incarceration.
06 · Category
Offense Patterns1 stats
01
Women comprised 12% of persons convicted of sexual offenses in England and Wales in 2022 (gender share of convictions)
Interpretation
Offense Patterns Interpretation
Within the Offense Patterns category, women accounted for just 12% of sexual offense convictions in England and Wales in 2022, highlighting how their share of offenders remains a clear minority.
07 · Category
Interventions & Outcomes1 stats
01
In an offender risk-management evaluation, treatment completers had a 1.8% higher probability of remaining arrest-free at 12 months than non-completers (difference in arrest-free probability)
Interpretation
Interventions & Outcomes Interpretation
Under the Interventions and Outcomes lens, female offenders who completed treatment were 1.8 percentage points more likely to remain arrest-free at 12 months than those who did not, suggesting treatment completion is associated with better short term outcomes.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Nathan Caldwell. (2026, February 13). Female Sex Offender Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/female-sex-offender-statistics
MLA
Nathan Caldwell. "Female Sex Offender Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/female-sex-offender-statistics.
Chicago
Nathan Caldwell. 2026. "Female Sex Offender Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/female-sex-offender-statistics.
Sources & references
20 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+9 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)