RT Article
T1 Vilifying the pedophiles and perverts: a nationwide test of the community attitudes toward sex offenders (catso) scale
JF Criminology, criminal justice, law & society
VO 16
IS 3
SP 41
OP 60
A1 Klein, Jennifer L.
LA English
YR 2015
UL https://krimdok.uni-tuebingen.de/Record/1580322026
AB Sex offenders are often reviled and have difficulties reentering society post-incarceration—due in part to the negativity directed toward them by community members. This study uses the Community Member Attitudes toward Sex Offenders (CATSO) Scale (Church et al., 2008) to test perceptions of a national sample of participants regarding sex offenders, their crimes, and the official responses to their abuses. Using legal and stereotypical knowledge as the main variables predicting the elements of the CATSO Scale, the results suggest an inverse relationship between the level of accurate knowledge and negative attitudes toward sex offenders. Parental status and race also play key roles in predicting the elements of the CATSO scale. Additional research findings, policy implications, and limitations will be discussed.
K1 Community members
K1 Perceptions
K1 Sex offenders
K1 Sex offender registry
K1 Internet survey
K1 National sample