NCJ Number
222880
Journal
Journal of Offender Rehabilitation Volume: 46 Issue: 1/2 Dated: 2007 Pages: 113-131
Date Published
2007
Length
19 pages
Annotation
This study examined the collateral consequences and reentry challenges of registered sex offenders who victimized children.
Abstract
The findings of the study show that both registered sex offenders with minor victims and those without are likely to be found in communities that are more socially disorganized and disadvantaged than county and national averages. In general, these communities may present challenges for offenders to integrate easily and anonymously into the community. However, communities with high concentrations of sex offenders with minor victims are not particularly likely to be associated with even greater social deficit than communities that do not have heavy concentrations of registered sex offenders with minor victims. The study provides an important platform from which to begin discussions of how the age of the victim influences registered sex offenders’ abilities to reintegrate into a non-institutional community as productive citizens. Sex offender registries are designed to enhance public safety, especially for children. An emerging body of research shows that registered sex offenders experience difficulties finding employment, housing, and generally reintegrating back into the community, all of which may have significant negative impacts on successful reentry. This study examined the characteristics or types of neighborhoods where registered sex offenders with child victims reside and discusses the implications of such consequences for offender rehabilitation. Table, note, and references