Cuando “el” delincuente es “ella”: intervención con mujeres violentas

Treating female offenders is a major challenge of criminal justice, psychology, and social intervention practitioners. The rates of arrests and convictions have increased, leading to a need to provide services for women prosecuted for violent crimes. However, the available knowledge, intervention programs, and validated tools are limited in the Spanish context. This review aims to provide an overview of the international context regarding the intervention with violent female offenders, focusing on the case of intimate partner violence and sexual violence. The literature shows that low prevalences limit studies about the effectiveness of interventions, victimization seems a relevant topic in the treatment of female offenders, risk assessment is very complicated due to the low recidivism, and attrition in programs is very common as it is in men. The implications for the development of the topic in the Spanish context are discussed.