From a Lack of Engagement and Mistrust to Partnership? Public Attitudes to the Disclosure of Sex Offender Information

Abstract

This paper discusses public attitudes to the current limited disclosure of sex offender scheme in the UK. The study focuses on two ‘countries' of the UK (ie, Northern Ireland and Wales) where, up until now, no direct research has been done with the public on their attitudes to the sex offender disclosure scheme. This study is based upon six socially representative local focus groups (members of the public; three in each locale) with a total of 35 members of the public between them. The focus groups are semi-structured in nature and were interpreted through qualitative (thematic) content analysis. Results indicate that the public believed that, in principle, they had a right to have access to information regarding sex offenders living in their communities, but when the practicalities of this were discussed, the participants became divided on the validity of disclosure. In respect to the limited disclosure scheme, the participants did not feel that it went far enough, it was too restrictive, they were unhappy with the structure of it (especially the background checks and the confidentiality agreement) and that they did not trust the government (ie, the police) to run it appropriately. Ultimately, the participants thought that communities needed to be more involved in the management of sex offenders within them, but they were conflicted as to whether communities could handle this role. The results of this study reflects and builds upon the English and Scottish pilots, suggesting that more work needs to be done on the administration of the disclosure process.

Sexual Offense Legislation Across the Pond: A Review of Community Sentiment Toward the United Kingdom’s Implementation of Sarah’s Law

“…Within the United Kingdom, a focus group of community residents noted that they felt they had a right to know when a person convicted of a sexual offense lived in their neighborhood. Beyond this notion, the focus group reported mixed feelings regarding the purpose and value of notification and disclosure laws in the United Kingdom (McCartan, 2013). This limited finding demonstrates vastly different feedback than in the United States, where citizens believe they have the right to know extensive information (Brannon et al, 2007; Connor & Tewksbury, 2017).…”

“…With reference to the United Kingdom, a focus group of community residents in Northern Ireland and Wales offered that they believed they had a right to know if an offender was living in their community (McCartan, 2013). Beyond this general consensus, the focus group uncovered mixed feelings regarding views of the punitiveness of community notification and registration laws.…”

“…Beyond this general consensus, the focus group uncovered mixed feelings regarding views of the punitiveness of community notification and registration laws. Specifically, focus group participants wanted something to be done by the government regarding sex offenders, but they were concerned about intrusions of privacy and risk of vigilantism with proposed laws (McCartan, 2013). Drawing from an evaluation of a pilot disclosure scheme in England and Wales, Kemshall and colleagues (2012) found that individuals who applied for disclosure information reported elevated senses of anxiety following receipt of this information.…”

Community support for sex offender rehabilitation in Europe

“…Across Europe, a wide majority of people has more or less adequate perceptions of sex offender characteristics, but some misperceptions are more widespread, for example an overestimation of the recidivism rates of child abusers, which had consistently been found before (Brown et al, 2008; CSOM, 2010; McCartan, 2013). Although community attitudes towards sex offenders are generally negative throughout Europe, they are not as extreme as in the US or in the UK, which had been concluded in previous research in Spain and Germany as well (Marteache, 2012; Jahnke et al, 2015).…”

Police officer perspectives on the implementation of a sex offender community notification scheme

“…2. The evidence is more mixed in other parts of the world (see, for example, McCartan, 2004McCartan, , 2013. 3.…”