Issues of child abduction and molestation have risen so high on social agendas that they have all but eclipsed similarly offensive crimes. Media broadcasts of a rash of child abductions, molestations and homicides have led to a nationwide moral panic concerning the safety of children. The media frenzy surrounding these publicized cases has created a 'fear factor' among parents and caregivers, begging the question as to whether the incidence of child abduction and molestation has increased or whether the nation's heightened sensitivity is a result of increased media reporting. This article explores the present climate of fear by way of five moral panic criteria developed by Goode & Ben-Yehuda. This link between the child predation moral panic and child safety legislation is explored in the context of the recently enacted Amber Alert. Similarities are demonstrated in the origin and empathy of both the Amber Alert and its predecessor, Megan's Law.

This study explores the potential impact of residence restrictions on housing availability for registered sex offenders in Camden County, New Jersey (N = 211). The proportion of registered sex offenders who live within typical exclusionary zones of 1,000 and 2,500 ft of schools, day care centers, churches, and parks is determined using the Geographical Information System mapping technology. The majority of sex offenders live within 2,500 ft of schools (71%) and day care centers (80%), and 88% live within 2,500 ft of any of four hot spots. Comparatively, 80% of nonoffending citizens live within 2,500 ft of such places. Offenders of adult victims live significantly closer to schools compared to those with child victims. The results suggest that a majority of sex offenders would be unable to live in their current homes if residence restrictions were in place, and that few options for housing exist outside of common buffer zones.

No abstract

The goals of the present study were to examine the recidivism rates of two matched samples of sexual offenders, those released prior to and after sex offender registration and notification (SORN) in New Jersey. The pre-SORN group (1990-1994) included 247 offenders, while the post-SORN group (1996-2000) included 248 offenders. The longitudinal analysis demonstrated that for sex offenders released from prison both prior to and after implementation of SORN, there are clearly two distinguishable groups of sex offenders in relation to patterns of recidivism. More than three-quarters of sex offenders were identified as at low risk of recidivism, with low rates of repeat criminal offenses. By contrast, the high-risk group of offenders was not only more likely to commit future criminal offenses, including sex offenses, but they were also more likely to commit significantly more offenses and to do so fairly quickly following release. Analyses also include an examination of the influence of demographics, substance abuse and mental health issues, treatment history, sex offense incident characteristics, and criminal history on recidivism. Finally, SORN status was not a significant predictor of sex or general recidivism. The study limitations and policy implications are discussed.

No abstract