Registration and the Closure of Stranger-Perpetrated Sex Crimes Reported to Police

Sexual Abuse ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 107906322093182
Author(s):  
David M. Bierie ◽  
Kristen M. Budd
Keyword(s):  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Sex Offender ◽  
Reporting System ◽  
Survival Models ◽  
Sex Crimes ◽  
Sex Offender Registration ◽  
Multivariate Survival ◽  
Before And After

A key goal of sex offender registration is to assist law enforcement in sexual assault investigations; to identify potential suspects when the perpetrator’s identity is unknown. To date, however, no research has assessed the utility of sex offender registries in closing cases of sexual assault when the incident involved stranger perpetrators. Addressing this gap, the study drew on the National Incident-Based Reporting System (1992–2001) to test the effect of registry implementation on closure of stranger-involved sex crimes across six states. Comparing closure speeds from before and after registration began in each state, multivariate survival models showed incidents of stranger-perpetrated sexual assault were cleared 23% to 28% faster post-registration implementation. Incidents with juvenile victims and incidents with additional crimes beyond the sexual assault also closed significantly faster (regardless of whether a registry existed).

Collateral Consequences and Effectiveness of Sex Offender Registration and Notification: Law Enforcement Perspectives

2016 ◽  
Vol 62 (4) ◽  
pp. 1080-1106 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle A. Cubellis ◽  
Scott M. Walfield ◽  
Andrew J. Harris
Keyword(s):  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Mixed Method ◽  
Public Safety ◽  
Sex Offender ◽  
Offender Treatment ◽  
Treatment Provider ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
Sex Offender Registration ◽  
Collateral Consequences ◽  
Collateral Effects

A growing body of research has examined the collateral effects of sex offender registration and notification (SORN), particularly those related to offenders’ social and economic reintegration into society. Although studies have examined public, offender, treatment provider, and other criminal justice perspectives on SORN’s collateral impacts, few have elicited the views of law enforcement (LE) professionals who have contact with registered offenders. This study presents results from a mixed method study examining LE perspectives on collateral consequences and effectiveness of SORN. Results indicate that, although overall LE concern regarding collateral impacts is limited, those who are most engaged in SORN-related duties are significantly more likely to indicate such concern, and also more likely to believe that SORN was an effective public safety tool. Importantly, respondents in states with larger registries expressed greater concern over collateral consequences, and less belief in SORN’s public safety efficacy. Implications for policy and practice are discussed.

Must the Show Go On? The (In)Ability of Counterevidence to Change Attitudes Toward Crime Control Theater Policies

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dylan Campbell ◽  
Anna Newheiser
Keyword(s):  
Sex Offenders ◽  
Sex Offender ◽  
Explicit Knowledge ◽  
Crime Control ◽  
Public Support ◽  
Alternative Methods ◽  
Sex Offender Registration ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Within Subjects ◽  
White Collar Offenders

Objectives: Crime control theater refers to intuitively appealing laws that appear to address crime while lacking any evidence that they actually do so (e.g., sex offender registration and residence restriction laws, which do not reduce recidivism). Despite their ineffectiveness, public support for such laws is high. Hypotheses: We predicted that making people aware of these laws’ failure to reduce crime would lower support for them.Method: Participants (recruited from Mechanical Turk; Study 1: N=298, mean age=35.60, 47.7% self-identified as women and 75.8% as White; Study 2: N=147, mean age=35.03, 40.1% self-identified as women and 85.0% as White; Study 3: N=552, mean age=35.86, 42.9% self-identified as women and 76.4% as White) read about sex offender registration and residence restriction policies and rated their support for these laws, confidence in their opinions about them, and perceptions of their efficacy before and after reading counterevidence highlighting these laws’ failure to reduce sex crimes. Results: Although exposure to counterevidence somewhat lowered support (average within-subjects d=-0.69), general attitudes remained positive even at the post-counterevidence phase (average d=0.46 against the scale midpoint). This pattern held when manipulating the criminal population being targeted (sex offenders vs. white-collar offenders; Study 1), when tailoring counterevidence to people’s self-stated justifications for supporting these laws (Studies 2-3), and despite favorable ratings of the counterevidence’s strength and credibility. Conclusion: Support for crime control theater policies persists despite explicit knowledge that they do not reduce crime, highlighting the need for alternative methods of dissuading people from their support for these ineffective laws.

Do Sex Offender Registration and Notification Requirements Deter Juvenile Sex Crimes?

2010 ◽  
Vol 37 (5) ◽  
pp. 553-569 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth J. Letourneau ◽  
Dipankar Bandyopadhyay ◽  
Kevin S. Armstrong ◽  
Debajyoti Sinha
Keyword(s):  
Sex Offender ◽  
Sex Crimes ◽  
Sex Offender Registration

Effects of South Carolina’s Sex Offender Registration and Notification Policy on Deterrence of Adult Sex Crimes

2010 ◽  
Vol 37 (5) ◽  
pp. 537-552 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth J. Letourneau ◽  
Jill S. Levenson ◽  
Dipankar Bandyopadhyay ◽  
Kevin S. Armstrong ◽  
Debajyoti Sinha
Keyword(s):  
Sex Offender ◽  
Sex Crimes ◽  
Sex Offender Registration

Law Enforcement Perspectives on Sex Offender Registration and Notification: Effectiveness, Challenges, and Policy Priorities

2016 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 391-420 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew J. Harris ◽  
Jill S. Levenson ◽  
Christopher Lobanov-Rostovsky ◽  
Scott M. Walfield
Keyword(s):  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Mixed Method ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Sex Offender ◽  
Crime Control ◽  
Public Information ◽  
The United States ◽  
Mixed Method Study ◽  
Sex Offender Registration ◽  
Face To Face

Since the 1990s, sex offender registration and notification (SORN) has assumed a prominent place on state and federal crime control agendas in the United States. Although researchers have examined many aspects of SORN policies and systems, relatively little is known about how SORN is used, perceived, and experienced by law enforcement professionals in the context of their work. This article presents findings from a mixed-method study, consisting of face-to-face interviews and a national online survey of police and sheriff agencies. We examined law enforcement views on SORN’s general functions and efficacy, barriers to SORN effectiveness, and recommendations for SORN-related policy. Results highlight the challenges associated with SORN’s various functions as a law enforcement information tool, as an offender monitoring mechanism, and as a conduit of public information. They also indicate differences between the perspectives of agency leadership and those on the front lines of registry enforcement and management, as well as a range of concerns associated with the reliability and utility of registry information, inter-system communication, registrant homelessness and transience, and the public’s capacity to understand registry information. Implications for policy reform and for SORN-related research are discussed.

How Background Relates to Perceptions of Child Sexual Abuse Prevention and Policies Related to Individuals Convicted of Sex Crimes

2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (7) ◽  
pp. 1059-1094
Author(s):  
Kelly M. Socia ◽  
Melissa D. Grady ◽  
Tess Bolder ◽  
Kelli Cronin ◽  
Christi Hurt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
North Carolina ◽  
Sexual Abuse ◽  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Child Sexual Abuse ◽  
Sex Offender ◽  
Sex Crimes ◽  
Sexual Abuse Prevention ◽  
Perceived Efficacy ◽  
Law And Policy ◽  
Child Sexual Abuse Prevention

Although research has examined perceptions of child sexual abuse (CSA) prevention and the efficacy of sex offender policies (SOPs), less research compares these perceptions between different backgrounds. We explore these perceptions among North Carolina stakeholders with backgrounds related to (a) victims of CSA, (b) individuals convicted of sex crimes (ICSCs), and/or (c) law enforcement and policymakers. Specifically, we examine how these backgrounds differ in the perceived efficacy of (a) the ability to prevent CSA, (b) containment-based SOPs, and (c) assistance-based SOPs. We find that the victim-focused background was the most optimistic that CSA prevention is possible, and the law and policy background was the most pessimistic. Furthermore, the ICSC-focused background was the least likely to believe in the effectiveness of containment-based strategies and the most likely to believe in the effectiveness of assistance-based strategies. An overlapping victim-and-ICSC background consistently fell in between the views of victim-only and ICSC-only backgrounds.

The Accuracy of Arrest Data in the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS)

2022 ◽  
pp. 001112872110671
Author(s):  
Theodore P. Cross ◽  
Alex Wagner ◽  
Daniel Bibel
Keyword(s):  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Reporting System ◽  
Law Enforcement Agencies ◽  
False Negatives ◽  
Improving Accuracy

This study compared NIBRS arrest data in a statewide sample with arrest and summons data on the same cases collected directly from law enforcement agencies (LEAs). NIBRS matched LEA data in 84.1% of cases. However, 5.8% of LEA arrests and 52.9% of LEA summons were false negatives, that is, they were incorrectly represented as not cleared by arrest in NIBRS. False negatives were more likely when more than 1 day elapsed between incident and arrest and when the crimes were sexual assault or intimidation. False negatives were less likely in small LEAs (for summons) Recommendations are presented for improving accuracy.

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