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Category: Research

all about the facts

New study shows sexual offense recidivism rates lower than previous estimates

By Maynard Law Office; reprinted with permission . . . Recently, the Bureau of Justice Statistics released a report entitled, “Recidivism of Sex Offenders Released from State Prison: A 9-Year Follow Up (2005-2014).” “Notwithstanding the sensationalist headline (“three times as likely”), the statistics reported are actually quite favorable. First, it’s important to note that this BOJ report is not based on samples…

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New study examines the effect of labels: The importance of “people-first” language

By Giulia Lowe and Gwenda Willis The present study examined the effect of offense-based labels on community members’ willingness to volunteer with people convicted for varying offenses and any priming effect of labeling language. Participants (N = 310) were randomly assigned to a label condition or a neutral condition and completed an anonymous online survey about their willingness to volunteer…

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Florida’s artificially inflated sexual offense registry: More federal funds for the state?

By Steve Yoder . . . It was the kind of headline guaranteed to generate clicks even over the winter holidays and amid a federal government shutdown: “Number of Sex Offenders Living in Florida Is Growing,” warned the Associated Press. In December, the Florida legislative auditor’s office released a report noting that the number of people on the state’s sex offender registry had…

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“We’re using child abuse to treat child-on-child sexual abuse”

By Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg . . . Seth (not his real name) describes himself as an outcast as a child. “I was the fat kid with glasses that got picked on ever since first grade,” said Seth, now 40, who grew up in New Jersey, where he still lives. “I was always a socially awkward kid.” In 1993, when he was 14,…

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Washington’s McNeil Island – Civil Commitment Center

By Emily Gillespie… A small island in the state of Washington houses a group of unlikely residents: they are all men the state considers its most dangerous sex offenders. McNeil Island, nestled in Puget Sound, is unpopulated except for the 214 people who live at the special commitment center, a facility for former prison inmates. All men have served their…

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Characteristics of sexual offenders

By ATSA The Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers is an international organization that stresses sound research and data-driven information in the prevention of sexual abuse.   Fact 1: There is no specific type of person who commits sexual abuse. People who sexually abuse cross all socioeconomic, educational, gender, age, and cultural lines. There is no typical profile of someone…

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“Fearless” validated as important and valuable

By Brenda . . . We were excited to see our own evaluation and expectations of our Fearless support group project confirmed in a genuine academic study! Authors Lisa L. Sample, Brooke N. Cooley, and Tusty ten Bensel recently published “Beyond Circles of Support: ‘Fearless’ — An Open Peer-to-Peer Mutual Support Group for Sex Offense Registrants and Their Family Members” in…

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Sex Offender Recidivism Fact Based Research Statistics

By AVNet News . . . This is a very thorough and well documented discussion of why the general opinion of sex offender re-offense is that it is high and then an equally thorough and well documented elaboration showing it is not. Multiple, easy to understand charts are used and multiple studies referenced. For recidivism research, this is invaluable. Sex…

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Researchers explore sex trafficking myths

By Jenny Heineman and Brooke Wagner . . . As they crack down on sex workers and pass outrageous new laws, our politicians and moral crusaders make some bold claims: Hundreds of thousands of children are at risk of sex trafficking is one oft-cited figure. Kids are entering sex work at an average age of 13, says another. But is any of…

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Are we getting the biggest bang for our sexual offense prevention dollars?

By Shelly Stow . . . From North Carolina comes this all-too-familiar story: Law enforcement is patting itself on the back for “tracking” those on the sex offender registry. In the typical it’s-a-dirty-job-but-somebody’s-got-to-do-it style of reporting, the journalist lauds Investigator J. Moore and the other two in the sex offender unit for spending all of their working hours verifying that…

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