Sarah W. Craun

Public Attitudes Toward Sexual Offenders and Sex Offender Registration

This study explores the relationship between fear of various types of sexual offenders and a belief that those sexual offenders should be subject to sex offender registration. We hypothesized that those who offend against children would elicit the most fear; consequently, the most feared offenders would be rated as most requiring registration. As part of a telephone survey, 733 participants answered questions about fear of sex offenders and agreement with requirements about registration for offenders convicted of incest, statutory rape, marital rape, pedophilia, date rape, and an offense committed more than 10 years prior. Results indicated that all types of sexual offenders elicited some fear from respondents, and fear was related to support of registration requirements.

The relationship between sex offender registry utilization and awareness.

Although registries of convicted sexual offenders are widely popular, little is known about the impact of the policies. The goal of this research was to measure one aspect of the impact of registry policies: patterns of usage of publicly available registries. Using a computer-assisted telephone survey, Michigan residents were questioned about their utilization of the sex offender registry and whether they believed any sex offenders lived in their community. The authors found that few respondents had looked at the registry. Reasons respondents provided for nonuse included lack of interest in the registry, living in a “safe” area, and not having children. Although it was found that registry use was related to awareness of offenders in the community, after viewing the registry, nearly half of the survey participants still believed no offenders lived in the community. Logistic regression was used to predict both registry use and awareness of offenders in the community.

Misperceptions of Sex Offender Perpetration Considering the Impact of Sex Offender Registration

A popular misconception among the general public is that sex offenders most often victimize strangers. To better understand these misconceptions about sex offenders, this study determines the frequency of misperception in the general public and establishes if the misconceptions are related to the policy of sex offender registration. Using a self-administered mail survey, it is found that on average, 3 out of 10 respondents indicate more worry about a child being sexually abused by a stranger than a child being sexually abused by someone known to them. In neighborhoods where registered sex offenders reside, awareness of a local sex offender significantly increases the likelihood that a respondent is more worried about a stranger sexually abusing a child. Interpretations of the findings follow, including discussing if the findings demonstrate an unintended consequence of sex offender registries.

Evaluating Awareness of Registered Sex Offenders in the Neighborhood

The goal of sex offender registration is to protect residents from recidivistic sexual offenders by providing public information about local offenders. This study determines what percentage of residents living near registered sex offenders are aware of the offenders and the predictors of awareness. The investigational group includes randomly selected residents, who completed surveys, living within one-tenth of a mile of registered sex offenders. A control group—those without sex offenders nearby—is included to see if residents believe offenders to be in every neighborhood. Significantly more investigational group respondents report that a sex offender lives in the neighborhood (31% vs. 2%). Hierarchical linear modeling confirms both individual and neighborhood predictors of awareness.

Anything That Can Be a Danger to the Public: Desire to Extend Registries Beyond Sex Offenses

Registries are no longer limited to sex offenders, as other types of registries, such as a dangerous dog registry and a gun offender registry, have appeared. This study investigated public perceptions about extending registries to other crimes and what types of registries are desired. Data were obtained from more than 700 Michigan residents using a random digit dialling telephone survey. More than half indicated wanting more public registries in addition to sex offender registries. Viewing the sex offender registry, supporting sex offender registries, and being convicted of a crime were factors affecting support for other registries. Respondents who desired additional registries reported most support for registries of those who committed crimes against people. Implications of extending registries to other types of crimes are considered.

Predictors of Weapon Use in Domestic Violence Incidents Reported to Law Enforcement

The study’s aim was to determine the predictors of weapon use during domestic violence incidents that were reported to the police. Randomly selected cases (N = 369) from the San Diego County Sheriff’s department comprised the study sample. The predictor variables for weapon use included relationship type, relationship length, suspect drug or alcohol use, and restraining order status at the time of the attack. Suspect sex and race were included as control variables. A logistic regression demonstrated that victims who had restraining orders against the perpetrator were more likely to have a weapon used against them in a domestic violence incident. Suspect sex was significant in an unanticipated direction, with female perpetrators being more likely to use a weapon during a domestic violence incident.

Secondary Traumatic Stress Among Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Personnel: : Impact, Risk Factors, and Coping Strategies

Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task force personnel face various forms of child exploitation on a daily basis; their jobs require them to view child pornography, participate in undercover chats, interact with offenders in person, and interview abuse survivors. Although exposure to child exploitation and sexual violence has been shown to cause secondary traumatic stress (STS) in certain professions, this is the first large-scale study to investigate risk for STS among ICAC personnel. We circulated an Internet-based survey to ICAC personnel throughout the country and more than 600 individuals responded. Results provide insight into how STS impacts personal and professional well-being. In addition, they highlight which coping mechanisms were inversely related to STS scores. Implications and limitations of the results are discussed.

Firearm Violence Directed at Police

Firearm violence directed at law enforcement officers has become an increasingly prominent topic among policy makers, the press, and academics. This prominence is driven in part by recent growth in the number of officers killed or injured by gunfire. Although researchers have studied less serious forms of resisting arrest, little is known about risk factors for firearm violence directed at police. This study drew on the National Incident-Based Reporting System to compare all incidents in which police officers were the victim of firearm violence with a random sample of police encounters without this form of aggression. A variety of offender and situational factors identified in prior literature on resisting arrest, as well as new constructs introduced here, were compared between these two groups within a multivariate logistic regression framework. The data showed several important patterns regarding risk to officers, some of which reverse or refine earlier work produced from studies of less serious forms of resistance.

A Longitudinal Examination of Secondary Traumatic Stress among Law Enforcement

Abstract Current research on secondary traumatic stress (STS) has been drawn from cross-sectional data. To determine how STS manifests over time, we conducted a three-year, longitudinal panel survey of investigators at a federal law enforcement agency. We measured STS scores, coping styles, perceptions of the work environment, and subject demographics. We found that STS scores are fairly stable over time. A variety of both positive and negative coping mechanisms, as well as characteristics about the work environment, were found to impact STS. In particular, coping with denial more often in the previous year was related to higher STS scores a year later, while higher scores indicating supervisory support were related to lower STS one year later. Deputy demographic variables were unrelated to STS.

Percentage of Named Offenders on the Registry at the Time of the Assault: Reports From Sexual Assault Survivors

Sex offender registries were designed to protect the public from convicted sex offenders and future sexual violence. This study determines the percentage of clients seen at a sexual assault agency whose attacker was on the registry at the time the attack occurred. According to case files, only 3.7% of the identified offenders could possibly have been identified as a registered sex offender at the time of the attack. While considering the limitations of this methodology, the findings highlight a significant limitation of registries and support the idea that registries cannot be relied on exclusively to prevent sexual abuse.