An Examination of Sex Offender Registration and Notification Laws: Can Community Sentiment Lead to Ineffective Laws?

Armstrong, Megan M.; Miller, Monica K.; Griffin, Timothy

doi:10.1007/978-1-4939-1899-7_17

Cited by 17 publications

(30 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…In essence, the policy/law is a solution looking for a problem. These types of memorialization laws, enacted to reduce a harm and bring about good, are often hypothesized to make us feel secure and protected, but may realistically incur a false sense of security, or at least a misconceived perception of the true harm (Armstrong, Miller, & Griffin, 2015;Griffin & Miller, 2008;Hammond et al 2010;.…”

Section: Moral Panic and Legislationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“Memorialization Laws in the United Kingdom: A Response to Fear or an Increased Occurrence?”

Zgoba

2016

Am J Crim Just

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Issues of sexual abuse, predation and rape have received an increased degree of attention over the last decade and as a result have overshadowed similarly offensive crimes. Various highly publicized cases of sexual violence against women and children have gripped both the United States and the United Kingdom and have resulted in the implementation of sexual violence laws. Media coverage of an 'epidemic' of sexual violence has led some to question whether the frenzy surrounding these publicized cases has created a Bfear factor^among parents and caregivers, begging the question as to whether the incidence of sexual violence has increased or whether the heightened sensitivity is a result of increased media reporting. This article examines approximately 12 years of aggregate sexual abuse prevalence data (crimes reported to the police) in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and compared prevalence change points and sexual offense law implementation. The article then examines the possible theory of whether Sarah's Law could potentially to be a result of increased fear or a moral panic. Findings indicate sex crime rates were declining prior to the law's implementation, lending cautious support to the proposition that the genesis of Sarah's Law may have been due to fear, rather than actual increases in sexual crimes. This paper explores the potential link between fear and a sexual abuse moral panic and the fluctuations of approximately 12 years of sexual abuse prevalence data in the United Kingdom. Sexual offenses, particularly those perpetrated against children, are among the most serious and frightening crimes committed. They are considered one of the most heinous of criminal acts, with consequences for victims, families, and society as a whole. Sexual crimes represent a universal, global phenomenon and the fear they promote is not particular to any specific geographic region (McCartan, Kemshall, & Am J Crim Just

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Section: Moral Panic and Legislationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“Memorialization Laws in the United Kingdom: A Response to Fear or an Increased Occurrence?”

Zgoba

2016

Am J Crim Just

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“…New Jersey's version of the law required sex offender registration, community notifi cation prior to a sex offender moving into a neighborhood, and harsher sentences for repeat sex offenders. By the mid-1990s, various iterations of "Megan's Law" had been enacted in every state and the District of Columbia (Armstrong et al, 2015 ). In 1996, a mere 2 years after her murder, Megan's Law was enacted on a federal level via an amendment to the Wetterling Act.…”

Section: Registration and Community Notifi Cationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Registration and community notifi cation laws, as well as other pieces of legislation that will be discussed throughout this chapter, exemplify the concept of " Crime-Control Theater " (Armstrong et al, 2015 ), which refers to policies that address societal fears about crime, but that are not necessarily based in fact or practicality. Such policies typically leave root causes of crime, or even common manifestations of crime, unaddressed, while focusing disproportionate attention on sensationalized cases (Armstrong et al, 2015 ;Hammond, Miller, & Griffi n, 2010 ). Not only are these policies largely ineffective, but they have a number of collateral consequences that may actually make the community less safe than if they were never enacted in the fi rst place.…”

Section: Registration and Community Notifi Cationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Megan's murder had an immediate impact on legislation in New Jersey, where the fi rst " Megan's Law " was approved within 3 months of her death (Armstrong et al, 2015 ). New Jersey's version of the law required sex offender registration, community notifi cation prior to a sex offender moving into a neighborhood, and harsher sentences for repeat sex offenders.…”

Section: Registration and Community Notifi Cationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…infl uence legislation often leads to crime-control efforts that are based more in fear than in fact and that are ineffective as a result (Armstrong, Miller, & Griffi n, 2015 ;Schiavone & Jeglic, 2009 ).…”

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confidence: 99%

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