NCJ Number
195095
Date Published
2000
Length
207 pages
Annotation
This is an introduction to the nature and extent of sex crime and offending in contemporary Great Britain, along with the policies and legislative actions taken to combat it.
Abstract
The introductory chapter reviews the form of sex offending, the law in England and Wales that defines sex offending, the definition of consent in a sexual interaction, when sexual behavior performed in private is legal but illegal when performed in public, dangerousness and risk, and current approaches for dealing with sexual offending. The second chapter examines the explanations of and responses to sexual offending put forward by the public, the press, politicians, and the "experts." These different voices are viewed as often in competition with one another in attempting to define the phenomenon of sexual offending and proposing a strategy for addressing it. A history of sex offending is offered in the third chapter, insofar as it can be determined from historical sources. Attention is paid to themes and responses that have been offered in the past and continue to have influence today. Such themes include the fear of the "dangerous" person at large in the community and the need for the "authorities" to identify him so that protective measures can be taken, as well as the need for "experts" to understand what sexual offending is all about. The fourth chapter outlines the current role of the police as the initial agency that investigates sexual offending. This is followed by a chapter on the prosecution of sex offenses, with attention to the various problems encountered in achieving justice in such cases. Appropriate sentences for the convicted sex offender are considered in the sixth chapter, along with how the agencies charged with implementing the sentences conduct their work. Chapter seven focuses on the mechanism of the United Kingdom's sex offender "register." The critical role that "personal information" databases play is emphasized. The next chapter discusses the protective measures taken in civil society to make communities safer from the threat of sexual offenders. The book concludes with speculation about future directions and developments, along with an assessment of the role of "personal information" and data as the key to future regulation of the sex offender. A 340-item bibliography and a subject index