Public Perceptions About Sex Offenders and Community Protection Policies

Levenson, Jill S.; Brannon, Yolanda Nicole; Fortney, Timothy; Baker, Juanita N.

doi:10.1111/j.1530-2415.2007.00119.x

Cited by 451 publications

(616 citation statements)

References 68 publications

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“…The elevation of sexual crime as a key public policy issue since the latter part of the twentieth century has produced a range of social and justice system responses to sexual offending behavior, along with high levels of public support for these responses despite mixed findings regarding policy efficacy (Kernsmith, Craun, & Foster, 2009;Levenson, Brannon, Fortney, & Baker, 2007). Although previous literature has examined demographic and other correlates of public support for prevailing sexual offender management policies, there has been little research focus on the underlying psychological factors contributing to these levels of policy support (Anonymous, under review).…”

Section: Applying Moral Foundations Theory To Understanding Public VImentioning

confidence: 99%

Applying moral foundations theory to understanding public views of sexual offending

Harper

Harris

2016

Journal of Sexual Aggression

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Much research has examined the views held by citizens about sexual offenders and related policy responses. Although studies have extensively examined demographic correlates of such views, little attention has been paid to psychological mechanisms that underpin them. Gaining a deeper understanding of such mechanisms may ultimately prove useful for informing communication strategies around the problem of sexual violence. We propose the application of moral foundations theory as a means of exploring the roots of the current punitive consensus around sexual crime policy at the macro level, as well as individual variability in attitudes about sexual violence. Following an overview of the sexual offender policy landscape, and a description of MFT principles, we outline how this framework can help to explain both convergence and divergence in responses to sexual offending among members of the public. We also provide a series of testable hypotheses to stimulate further research in this area

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Section: Applying Moral Foundations Theory To Understanding Public VImentioning

confidence: 99%

Applying moral foundations theory to understanding public views of sexual offending

Harper

Harris

2016

Journal of Sexual Aggression

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“…Notably, federal courts and the U.S. Supreme Court have upheld these initiatives. Without question, these initiatives are strongly supported by the American public [3]. As a result, legislating sex crime nationally has become a growth industry that has faced little judicial or public opposition.…”

mentioning

confidence: 96%

“…This is not to say that such course of action will be easy. The public and in some cases, policymakers hold strong views-many based on faulty assumptions of sex crime [3,15]. The challenge then lies in educating the public and lawmakers about the reality of sex offending, and the evidence-based responses to address it.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

?Sex Offender Treatment: Two Promising Approaches?

Mancini¹

2013

Social Crimonol

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“…Many people believe that sex offenders have high recidivism rates and that sex offender treatment is ineffective at curtailing future offending. Individuals with these false beliefs are likely to be in support of the sex offender registry and community notification system (Levenson, Brannon, Fortney & Baker, 2007). It is also a common belief that an individual is more likely to be victimized by a stranger.…”

Section: Public and Media Perception Of Sex Offendersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Punishment beyond Incarceration: The Negative Effects of Sex Offender Registration and Restrictions

Reed¹

2017

JLCJ

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This study aimed to systematically review the current literature available on the sex offender registration and restrictions. Topics include the sex offender registry, internet and employment restrictions, residency restrictions, and chemical and surgical castration. The collateral consequences of sex offender registration and restrictions were examined. The study concluded that while the sex offender registry and other sex offender restrictions serve the purpose of deterrence and public safety, they may be flawed. The effectiveness of sex offender rehabilitation was included to show its" effect on recidivism rates. Implications of the current policy were discussed. Suggestions for future policy and research were outlined.There are currently over 500,000 United States citizens listed on the sex offender registry (Schultz, 2014). It is suspected that a vast majority of those offenders will return back in to our society. Unlike any other offender, sex offenders are subjected to strict rules and restrictions upon their release from incarceration, even though they have already paid their debt to society by serving their sentence. These rules and restrictions were created to satisfy public interest and as an attempt to increase public safety. Though public safety is at the core of sex offender policy, these initiatives may be doing more harm than good.The goal of this thesis research is to outline the collateral consequences associated with sex offender registration and restrictions. It is hoped that this research can be used educate the public about sex offender myths and misperceptions, the effectiveness of treatment, and how current sex offender policy hinders successful re-entry and promotes violence, harassment, and higher rates of general recidivism. There is a need for sex offender policy to be reformed. Current practices are shown to be flawed in their original purpose, as well as being unjust and unfair in regards to the treatment of sex offenders in our nation. There is a need to balance the need for effective public safety measures with the ethical treatment of sex offenders. The content in this paper outlines current implications and suggestions for future changes.

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Public Perceptions About Sex Offenders and Community Protection Policies

Cited by 451 publications

References 68 publications

Applying moral foundations theory to understanding public views of sexual offending

Applying moral foundations theory to understanding public views of sexual offending

?Sex Offender Treatment: Two Promising Approaches?

Punishment beyond Incarceration: The Negative Effects of Sex Offender Registration and Restrictions

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