NCJ Number
248996
Date Published
July 2015
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This Research Brief summarizes what is scientifically known about the registration and notification for juveniles who commit sexual offenses, and it identifies policy implications, knowledge gaps, and unresolved controversies in the research that require further study.
Abstract
The summary of research findings first reviews the studies that have examined the effectiveness of sex offender registration and notification (SORN) in preventing the sexual recidivism of juveniles. This is followed by a review of research that has compared recidivism rates for juveniles who have committed sexual offenses with the recidivism of adults who have committed such offenses. Another section of the brief discusses research limitations and future needs. The brief notes the scarcity of studies that have examined SORN for juveniles. Only three such studies were identified in the literature, and none of them produced conclusive findings about the use of SORN with juveniles who commit sexual offenses. Studies that have compared the sexual recidivism rates of juveniles with those of adult sexual offenders have produced mixed results. Apparently there is at least a marginal difference in the propensity to reoffend between juvenile and adult sexual offenders; however, definitive conclusions are difficult to make. The brief concludes that since far more research is needed on the effectiveness of SORN for juveniles who commit sexual offenses, any further expansion of SORN with juveniles is not recommended. 17 references and 2 notes