Assessing the Effectiveness of Sex Offender Legislation

7/30/2019 Assessing the Effectiveness of Sex Offender Legislation

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Assessing the Effectivenessof Sex Offender Legislation

By: Liz Berger


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Introduction

Most controversial sex offender policies:

Registration

Community notification

Living restrictions

DNA provisions

Reason for controversy:

Outcomes do not seem to meet intendedgoals

Nonetheless, there is wide public support forpolicies


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R.G. Wright

Criminology and Policy (2003)

Sex offender registration and notification:

Public attention, political emphasis, and fear

Meta-analysis study

Current sex offender policies are ineffective

in reducing sexual violence

Policies deflect from more realistic concerns Little prevention and specialized treatment in

current legislation


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L. L. Sample & T. M. Bray

Criminology and Policy (2003)

Are sex offenders dangerous?

Policies are based on inaccurateassumptions

Sex offenders have the lowest rate of

recidivism compared to other criminal

categories

DNA collection is not an effective deterrent


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K. M. Socia, Jr. & J. P. Stametel

Sociology Compass (2010)

Assumptions and evidence behind sexoffender laws: Registration, community

notification, and residence restrictions Celebrated cases have propelled inaccurate

assumptions

Media coverage exacerbates these

assumptions Registration, notification, and residency

restriction laws are constructed bypolicymakers to appease a worried public


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K. M. Socia, Jr. & J. P. Stametel

Sociology Compass (2010)

(con.)

No real increase in public awareness

Increased fear of victimization

Increased law enforcement workload

Such laws are expressive reactions to public

uproar Lack of evidence/research backing the

policies


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Registration Laws

Mantel-Haenszal Test

Independen

t VariableDependent Variable P-value Decision

Registration

Deterrent effect .417 Do not reject H0

Increase in public

awareness.594 Do not reject H0

Victim concern .079 Do not reject H0

Public overreaction .004Reject H0:

R=.248, sig.=.001

Increased workload .011Reject H0:

R=.191, sig.=.010


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Independent

VariableDependent Variable P-value Decision

Notification


Increase in public



Public overreaction .018Reject H0:

R=.186, sig.=.012

Increased workload .009Reject H0:

R=.196, sig.=.008

Notification Laws



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o ec onChi-Squared Test for

IndependenceIndependent

Variable

Dependent

VariableP-value Decision

DNA

provision

sample


Increase in public



Public

overreaction.916 Do not reject H0

Increased

workload.643 Do not reject H0


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es ency es r c onsChi-Squared Test for

IndependenceIndependent

Variable

Dependent


Residency

restrictions

(activities

near childrenare restricted)


Increase in public



Public

overreaction.512 Do not reject H0

Increased

workload.898 Do not reject H0


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Public Overreaction

Independent Samples T-Test

Independent

Variable

Dependent

VariableMean P-value Decision

Public

overreaction

DNA

provision

sample

4.14

(Frequently)

.157Do not

reject H0

Living

restrictions

4.14

(Frequently) .415Do not

reject H0


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Public Overreaction


Independent

Variable

Dependent


Public

overreaction

Registration .001Reject H0:

R=.248, sig.=.001

Notification .012Reject H0:

R=.186, sig.=.012


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Media Sensationalism


Independent

Variable

Dependent


Media

sensationalis

m

Public

overreaction .000Reject H0:R=.494, sig..000

Registration .000Reject H0:R=.286, sig..000

Notification .002 Reject H0:R=.226, sig.=.002


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Media Sensationalism

Independent Samples T-Test

Independent

Variable

Dependent

VariableMean P-value Decision

Media

sensationalis

m

DNA

provision

sample

3.87

(Frequently)

.78Do not

reject H0

Living

restrictions

2.07

(Rarely) .528Do not

reject H0


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Conclusions

Current sex offender legislation may be

ineffective:

Policies do not successfully deter

Policies do not decrease fear of the victim

Policies do not increase public awareness

Legislation seems to be spurred by:

Public overreaction/public opinion

Media effects


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Potential Limitations

Literature review

Lack of generalizability

Largely descriptive

Cannot discern causal links

Statistical analysis

Response bias

Sample bias

Possibility of outliers


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Future Research

Policies need to be more systematic and

thought-out

More research focusing on whythe policies

do not work

Assumption checking

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Assessing the Effectiveness of Sex Offender Legislation