RT Article
T1 We fought tooth and toenail: exploring the dynamics of romantic relationships among sex offenders who have desisted
JF Criminal justice studies
VO 30
IS 2
SP 117
OP 135
A1 Lytle, Robert
A2 Bailey, Danielle J. S.
A2 Ten Bensel, Tusty
LA English
YR 2017
UL https://krimdok.uni-tuebingen.de/Record/1728591112
AB Recent research into desistance processes in criminology has identified various explanations and factors in the decision to end criminal careers. One of these life events, shown to generally promote desistance, has been the presence of a romantic relationship. In this study, we argue that research into the role of romantic relationships in sex crime desistance has overlooked the context of romantic relationships, especially pertaining to the quality of relationships. We analyzed interviews with 25 desisting sex offenders, who have returned to the community, to determine how relationship quality varies over time for desisters. Also, we identified themes in the romantic relationships of desisters relative to their conviction (i.e. pre-conviction vs. post-conviction). These findings provide early evidence of the variation in relationship quality amongst sex crime desisters, as well as the impact that relationship quality has on desisters. We conclude that future research in sex crime desistance processes should include relationship quality, not just the presence of a romantic relationship.
K1 Sex crime desistance
K1 Informal social controls
K1 Marriage
K1 Romantic relationships
K1 Sex offending
DO 10.1080/1478601X.2017.1299322