Do Views on Sex Offending Vary by Nationality? A Comparative Analysis of Community Sentiment Toward Sex Offense Legislation in the United States and United Kingdom

Much attention has been paid to the examination of community sentiment regarding convicted sex offenders and the policy that governs these offenders’ behavior. This literature, however, has largely been absent of international comparisons of sex offender community sentiment. The current study seeks...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Cowan, Devin (Author) ; Zgoba, Kristen M. (Author) ; Guerette, Rob T. (Author) ; Levenson, Jill S. (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Published: 2021
In: International journal of offender therapy and comparative criminology
Year: 2021, Volume: 65, Issue: 10/11, Pages: 1242-1261
Online Access: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
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Keywords:
Survey
Public Perception
Sexual Offending
the Disclosure Scheme
Megan’s Law
Sarah’s Law
Description
Summary:Much attention has been paid to the examination of community sentiment regarding convicted sex offenders and the policy that governs these offenders’ behavior. This literature, however, has largely been absent of international comparisons of sex offender community sentiment. The current study seeks to fill this gap by drawing from the results of surveys (n = 333) conducted in both the United States (US) and the United Kingdom (UK). Results indicate that sex offender policy is generally supported in both the US and the UK. Contrary to our expectations, we found that participants from the UK were less tolerant of sex offenders residing in their neighborhoods than participants from the US. Additionally, there is support for the notion that sex offender policy holds a symbolic value for both study locations. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.
ISSN:1552-6933
DOI:10.1177/0306624X20964168