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sex offenders registry abstract for a research paper
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Executive Summary
This paper aims to discuss the policy problem of low conviction rates for sex offenders, specifically to first time offenders. There are many causes associated with this issue, and the most common will be analyzed and discussed, along with possible alternative measure that can be taken to reduce the lack of justice for this population, with the ultimate goal of reducing sexual violations as it will be clear what the punishment is for those actions. This is not to say that sex offender registration and notification policies do not have a place on the policy agenda, but that underreporting of these crimes plays a big role in the policy level and attention given to the problem. Underreporting also plays a role in the low recidivism rates for sexual offenders, as well as traits such as age and type of punishment implemented, which will be discussed below.
Analysis
The Prevalence of Sexual Abuse
One form of infringement upon an individual’s natural rights is sexual abuse. Sexual abuse is an unfortunate reality in our society, and can be considered the ultimate form of torture, as there are several layers of physical, mental, and emotional damage. Sexual abuse can be defined as unwanted sexual contact in a situation involving at least two parties consisting of the victim and the offender. Some types of sexual abuse include unwanted light contact, such as kissing or touching; threatening or pressuring a person into sexual activity; molestation, regardless of child or adult; and violent sexual activity or rape (“What is Sexual Abuse”). There is prominent data supporting the prevalence of sexual abuse in the U.S, along with media attention of later confessions of both victims and perpetrators shows that the iss...
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...t issue in modern day United States. A disturbing trend that was observed was the high amount of sexual assault occurrences, but the low amount of convictions for sex offenders. In an effort to solve this issue, the initial step was to identify the major contributors to this phenomenon, which included unprocessed rape kits and misinformed jurors and judges. Laws to regulate the processing of rape kits and the funding of sexual abuse-focused educational programs were suggested, and it is expected that these alternatives will become potential solutions to the issue of low conviction rate. Upon entering society, individuals have the right to a sense of security and peace of mind, and their rights should be protected through the authority of the law. It is only natural to preserve these ideals for all individuals, which involves the removal of harmful agents.
The following research will display an overview of the process in Texas on how sex offenders are registered along with the notifications that are followed after registration. Texas, as many other states, has a procedure which requires sex offenders to register with the local law enforcement agencies at the time of their discharge. In addition to registration, they must also comply with further probation regulations. Research has concluded that there are four basic phases of registration and notification. Beginning with offender notified, following the offender registration and community notified and ending with public notification
In the event that a prisoner (particularly a sex offender) does complete rehabilitation, he carries with him a stigma upon reentering society. People often fear living near a prior drug addict or convicted murderer and the sensational media hype surrounding released felons can ruin a newly released convict’s life before it beings. What with resident notifications, media scare tactics and general concern for safety, a sex offender’s ability to readapt into society is severely hindered (554). This warrants life-skills rehabilitation applied to him useless, as he will be unable to even attempt to make the right decision regarding further crime opportunities.
...aker, J. (2007). Public perceptions about sex offenders and community protection policies. Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy, 7(1), 1-25.
The Recidivism Rate of Juvenile Sex Offenders between Uses of Legal Sentencing as Adults or Utilizing Psychological Treatment
On the news stories of girls being raped, killed, and dumped air frequently. This act happens more than it should, if possible it should never happen. In families it happens every day of their life. Sexual abuse occurs, for most victims, with someone they know. “Any situation in which you are forced to participate in unwanted, unsafe, or degrading sexual activity is sexual abuse. Forced sex, even by a spouse or intimate partner with whom you also have consensual sex, is an act of aggression and violence. Furthermore, people whose partners abuse them physically and sexually are at a higher risk of being seriously injured or killed” (Smith and Segal).
According to RAINN, (2009) approximately 10 per cent of all victims of sexual assault and abuse are adult and juvenile males. In terms of the nature of assault, real figures include a compendium of reported incidents ranging from unwanted sexual touching to forced penetration. To qualify this statement, it must be understood that the percentage does not reflect a vast number of crimes that go unreported due to issues that will be discussed in the present paper.
In the United States as a condition of parole sex offenders are typically required to register with law enforcement officials when released from prison. These officials notify the public of the offender’s release back into society and provide them with information such as the offenders address, and other personal information. Research indicates the notification system can have an adverse effect on the offender’s life, casting doubt on what the laws intended purpose to protect the public. This paper will explore the background of sex offender registries, the relationship between the sex offender notifications and registration laws and higher rates of recidivisms in the United States.
Finn, P. U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs. (1997). Sex offender community notification. Retrieved from http://www.abtassociates.us/reports/sex-offender.pdf
There have been some concerns about the registration and notification laws on sex offenders. Some of the concerns raised in respect to Megan’s law are the prospects of vigilantism when members of the community learn about the presence of a sex offender and decide to drive the sex offender out of the community or cause physical harm to the individual. There are also concerns that the availability of information has affected the re integration of sex offenders into the community as such information affects their employability status. Additionally, the costs used in maintaining the information required by Megan’s laws have increased exponentially and such costs may not be practical.
In today’s society, juveniles that commit a sexual assault have become the subject of society. It’s become a problem in the United States due to the rise of sexual offenses committed by juveniles. The general public attitude towards sex offenders appears to be highly negative (Valliant, Furac, & Antonowicz, 1994). The public reactions in the past years have shaped policy on legal approaches to managing sexual offenses. The policies have included severe sentencing laws, sex offender registry, and civil commitment as a sexually violent predator (Quinn, Forsyth, & Mullen-Quinn, 2004). This is despite recidivism data suggesting that a relatively small group of juvenile offenders commit repeat sexual assaults after a response to their sexual offending (Righthand &Welch, 2004).
It is no secret that the issue of punishment of sex offender is steadily growing. From what kind of sex crime was committed, to who committed it , the bottom line is we need change. The main argument that people bring up now a days is that if you commit a crime, then you should suffer the consequences and face your punishment , and I totally agree. But when you start going overboard and start making people publicly display there long gone past, then you start to have problems.To name a few, inability to find a job, inability to find a place to stay, and last but not least the person’s overall character is destroyed.
Lynch, Michael W. “Enforcing ‘Statutory Rape ‘?.” Public Interest 132 (1998): 3. Points of View
The acceptance that the court system often treats female offenders differently than male offenders is an accurate statement; however, it comes with many caveats. Generally, the public views women as nurturers, motherly and incapable of harming a child. Research indicates that female sex offenders capable of committing such acts have serious psychiatric and psychological problems. In comparison, research indicates male sex offenders are more callous, more antisocial, and promiscuous, involved in the criminal justice system, and have more victims (Miccio-Fenseca, 2012, slide 7). The consensus is that men commit their acts for sexual pleasure while women commit their acts due to psychiatric and psychological problems. Law enforcement, juries, and judges tend to empathize more when there are additional mitigating factors such as emotional or psychological problems. Due to these mitigating factors, it appears treatment of female sex offenders is more lenient than male if their crimes are similar in nature. Research by Miccio-Fenseca (2012) indicates that in comparison to their male counterparts, “female sex offenders rarely use force or violence far less than often…rarely use threats of violence to silence victims…rarely use threats o...
Sex offenders have been a serious problem for our legal system at all levels, not to mention those who have been their victims. There are 43,000 inmates in prison for sexual offenses while each year in this country over 510,000 children are sexually assaulted(Oakes 99). The latter statistic, in its context, does not convey the severity of the situation. Each year 510,000 children have their childhood's destroyed, possibly on more than one occasion, and are faced with dealing with the assault for the rest of their lives. Sadly, many of those assaults are perpetrated by people who have already been through the correctional system only to victimize again. Sex offenders, as a class of criminals, are nine times more likely to repeat their crimes(Oakes 99). This presents a
More importantly, “60 percent of children who are sexually abused do not disclose and most are acquaintances but as many as 47 percent are family or extended family” (The Scope of, 2016). The prevalence of child sexual abuse is difficult to determine because it is often not reported; experts agree that the incidence is far greater than what is reported to authorities (Child Sexual Abuse, 2012). Startling statistics represent the depth of the issue. Globally, prevalence rates show that a range of 7-36% of women and 3-29% of men experience sexual abuse in childhood (The Scope of, 2016). “The U.S Department of Health and Human Services’ Children’s Bureau report child maltreatment 2010 found that 9.2% of victimized children were sexually assaulted” (Child Sexual Abuse,