Public attitudes toward sexual offenders and sex offender registration.
This study explores the relationship between fear of various types of sexual offenders and a belief that those sexual offenders should be subject to sex offender registration. We hypothesized that those who offend against children would elicit the most fear; consequently, the most feared offenders would be rated as most requiring registration. As part of a telephone survey, 733 participants answered questions about fear of sex offenders and agreement with requirements about registration for offenders convicted of incest, statutory rape, marital rape, pedophilia, date rape, and an offense committed more than 10 years prior. Results indicated that all types of sexual offenders elicited some fear from respondents, and fear was related to support of registration requirements.
Wayne State University, School of Social Work, 4756 Cass Avenue, Detroit, MI 48202, USA. poco@wayne.edu
Poco D
PD
Kernsmith
Sarah W
SW
Craun
Jonathan
J
Foster
D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D003416:Criminal Law / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005555:Forensic Psychiatry / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010378:Pedophilia / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011639:Public Opinion; D011678:Punishment; D011902:Rape / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012042:Registries; D012742:Sex Offenses / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012938:Social Perception; D014481:United States