Ashamed and Alone

Abstract

Originally intended to decrease sexual victimization by increasing community awareness of convicted sex offenders, sex offender registration and notification laws have been shown to produce numerous unintended consequences for both registrants and their family members (FMs). In many cases, these unintended consequences may actually increase sexual reoffending risk by reducing offenders’ informal social control and inhibiting successful postconviction reintegration. The current study examines two such consequences, shame and social isolation, using a sample of 109 registered sex offenders and 116 sex offender FMs ( N = 225). Although prior research has documented the existence of shame and social isolation within both populations, to date, there have been no systematic attempts to examine variation between groups. We found that the degree of social isolation and shame does significantly differ between registered sex offenders and their FMs, with registered sex offenders reporting higher levels of both social isolation and shame compared to FMs at the bivariate level. Using ordinary least squares regression analysis, we determined that attitudinal variables (disrespect and unfair sanctions) were the most salient predictors of participants’ perceived intensity of social isolation and shame.

“You Feel Like You Did Something So Wrong”: Women's Experiences of a Loved One's Child Sexual Abuse Material Offending

“…Women's shock and confusion were often compounded by the lack of social support and information, with many finding the police and court processes confusing and retraumatizing. These findings dovetail with broader research into the families of sex offenders, who report high rates of stigmatization, social isolation, and shame ( Bailey & Klein, 2018 ; Duncan et al, 2020 ; Kilmer & Leon, 2017 ; Levenson & Tewksbury, 2009 ). Mothers in particular have been stigmatized by the offending of their partners and were historically held responsible for the sexual offenses of their partners ( Azzopardi et al, 2018 ).…”

Sex offender registration and notification act with adolescents adjudicated for illegal sexual behavior: a therapeutic jurisprudence perspective

“…By placing AISB on the registry, AISB experience the negative social effects of registering as a "sex offender" beyond the occupational and legal consequences. These labels lead to stigmatization, marginalization, fear of mistrust by others, harassment, and rejection or isolation by family and peers (11,62,70,75). In fact, recommendations have been made to eliminate the use of the "juvenile sex offender" and "sex offender" labels (76)(77)(78)(79).…”

The police as formal agents of change: Assisting desistance in individuals convicted of sexual offences

“…This can sometimes be achieved in spite of external controls and sanctions. However, pervasive criminal justice controls (McNeill, 2019), punitive legal restrictions (Thomas & Marshall, 2021), and hostile attitudes towards people who have committed sexual offences (McCartan et al, 2015) will likely hinder this process and reinforce feelings of shame and stigma (Bailey & Klein, 2018). Of particular concern is that any interaction that reinforces stigma has the potential to undermine positive working relationships and prevent people from seeking help, making it harder to help them desist from crime (Grady et al, 2019).…”