Perception Is Not Reality. The common assumption that the justice system often treats female sex offenders differently than male sex offenders, that punishments for female sex offenders are more lenient than for male sex offenders the same types of crimes and that the differences between male and female victims are all perceptions and not reality. Objective considerations of additional factors render perceptions unfounded. These additional factors solidify the factual differences between male and female sex offenders. Acceptance that the justice system often treats female offenders differently than male offenders is an accurate statement; however, it comes with many caveats. In general, the public views women as nurturing, maternal, and incapable of harming a child. Research indicates that female sexual offenders capable of committing such acts have serious psychiatric and psychological problems. In comparison, research indicates that male sex offenders are more callous, more antisocial and promiscuous, involved in the criminal justice system, and have more victims (Miccio-Fenseca, 2012, slide 7). The consensus is that men commit their acts for sexual pleasure while women commit them due to psychiatric and psychological problems. Law enforcement, juries and judges tend to empathize more when there are additional mitigating factors such as emotional or psychological problems. Because of these mitigating factors, it appears that the treatment of female sex offenders is more lenient than that of male sex offenders if their crimes are of a similar nature. Research by Miccio-Fenseca (2012) indicates that, compared to their male counterparts, “female sexual offenders rarely use force or violence much less than usual… they rarely use threats of violence to silence victims ...rarely use threats or...... middle of paper...sex-based sentencing. sentencing discrepancies between male and female sex offenders. Feminist Criminology, 7(2), 146-162.Miccio -Fonseca, L.C. (2012). Female sex offenders [PowerPoint slides]. 2006). Female and male juvenile sexual offenders, a comparison of offender, victim and judicial treatment characteristics. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 50(2), 148-165. Wijkman, M., Bijleveld, C., & Hendriks, J. (2010). Women don't do these things! Characteristics of female sexual offenders and types of offenders. Sexual abuse: A journal of research and treatment, 22(2), 135-156.