Tusty ten Bensel

The influence of sex offender registration and notification laws on fostering collective identity among offenders

Abstract A collective identity has been ascribed to sex offenders by law, in which everyone on the registry are presumed to be dangerous, at equal risk for reoffending, and deserve extra scrutiny and prohibitions beyond what other types of convicted offenders experience. As a result, sex offenders often experience harassment, social isolation, stigmatization, loss of employment, and homelessness. Such negative experiences may affect their identities or how they come to view themselves. It is then important to determine if sex offenders accept the structurally and culturally collective identity placed upon them and what, if any, methods have been found to mitigate social effects on their identity. This study explored if and how the consequences of registration and notification (RN) laws affected notions of person and perhaps created a collective identity among sex offenders. We conducted interviews with 112 sex offenders and found that they did see themselves part of a collective group, one that was formed over time, exhibited a group level consciousness, and practiced negotiations within the group to change the thoughts and daily lives of members. We believe the results of this study can be used to highlight the need to recognize these identities when planning treatment modalities and determine the future of sex offender laws.

Framing in the Making The Evolution of Sex Offender Motivation in Sierra Leone

Previous research on sexual violence has focused on individual-level behaviors that typically include a single victim in an isolated event. Criminologists have failed to examine sexual violence as a group-level phenomenon, which is often exhibited during war. For this study, case study methodology was used to analyze court transcripts from the United Nations, detailing the conflict of Sierra Leone. By utilizing the framing perspective, the purpose of this study was to determine the nature of sexual violence during war, focusing specifically on whether the evolution of sex offending motivations changes overtime. A better understanding of how sex offending becomes a group behavior will expand the current literature on collective and sexual violence, identify preconflict indicators of collective sexual violence, and provide strategies for postconflict mediations in warring countries.

We fought tooth and toenail: exploring the dynamics of romantic relationships among sex offenders who have desisted

Abstract Recent research into desistance processes in criminology has identified various explanations and factors in the decision to end criminal careers. One of these life events, shown to generally promote desistance, has been the presence of a romantic relationship. In this study, we argue that research into the role of romantic relationships in sex crime desistance has overlooked the context of romantic relationships, especially pertaining to the quality of relationships. We analyzed interviews with 25 desisting sex offenders, who have returned to the community, to determine how relationship quality varies over time for desisters. Also, we identified themes in the romantic relationships of desisters relative to their conviction (i.e. pre-conviction vs. post-conviction). These findings provide early evidence of the variation in relationship quality amongst sex crime desisters, as well as the impact that relationship quality has on desisters. We conclude that future research in sex crime desistance processes should include relationship quality, not just the presence of a romantic relationship.

Social Inclusion Despite Exclusionary Sex Offense Laws: How Registered Citizens Cope With Loneliness

The use of social media has become associated with empowerment, social capital, and social inclusion for members of marginalized groups in society. Few groups in today’s social environment are as marginalized, if not more, than sex offenders. This article explores the use of social media among 112 registered sex offenders who are in the community, no longer under correctional control, and self-report no reoffending. Self-reports of desistance were triangulated through interviews with 38 spouses/relatives of registrants and arrest data. Unlike prior studies of sex offenders’ use of social media to facilitate offending, we found the use of social media helps create informal social networks, reduces loneliness, and provides a sense of empowerment among sex offenders and their family members. These are all factors important to promoting public safety and reducing sexual recidivism.

Collective Sexual Violence in Bosnia and Sierra Leone A Comparative Case Study Analysis

Social scientists have long studied the patterns, motivations, and recidivism rates of sexual offenders; however, the majority of prior research has examined rape, where victims are assaulted by a single offender in isolated events. Often overlooked are sexually violent assaults committed during armed conflicts, which often exhibit group-level sexual offending. This oversight could be a result of perceived notions that sexual violence during conflict is a rare or regrettable event; however, it has been documented consistently throughout history. The purpose of this study was to improve our understanding of sexual violence during war by comparing and contrasting preconflict characteristics, conflict framing, and justifications for sexual violence in the Bosnian and Sierra Leone armed conflicts. This greater understanding can then be used to identify factors that may contribute to the collectivization of sexual violence during war.

Female Sex Offenders: Is There a Difference Between Solo and Co-Offenders?

Studies on female sex offending have been limited for a number of reasons, such as societal perceptions that females are incapable of engaging in such behaviors because of their role as caretakers and nurturers in society. However, over the past few decades, studies examining female sex offenders have increased, revealing that females do commit sexual offenses and differ from their male counterparts. We examined offender, victim, and offense characteristics of female sex offenders who were convicted from 1995 to 2013 (N = 223) in Arkansas and were sentenced to serve time in prison or placed on probation. We focused on the similarities and differences of solo and co-female sex offenders because we know from previous studies that the pathway of offending can differ between solo and co-female offenders, yet few studies have exclusively compared the similarities and differences among female sex offenders. Our data were collected from offender files that included basic personal offender information, offender survey and social history, criminal history, incident reports while incarcerated, court records, police investigation reports, initial offender and victim statements (prior to offender incarceration), and probation/parole reports. We believe the results of this study will provide further insight into the types of female sex offenders as well as the possible differences between co- and solo-offenders in relation to their victim preferences, risk levels, rehabilitation amenability, and recidivism propensities.

Beyond Circles of Support: “Fearless”—An Open Peer-to-Peer Mutual Support Group for Sex Offense Registrants and Their Family Members:

The term sex offender carries expectations that include a continuous level of sexual criminal risk and untreatable mental health conditions that govern sex offending behaviors. These role expectations by the public can socially isolate individuals who have been convicted of a crime and the people who love them. This is likely to contribute to negative self-images that can result in loneliness, isolation, and depression, and, subsequently, contribute to discontinuing support for sex offender’s loved ones and reoffending. This article highlights the creation and maintenance of a peer-to-peer social support group for registered sex offenders and their family members that helps combat the effects of “sex offender” labels. This group differs from formal organized circles of support model and traditional self-help groups such as Alcohol (AA) or Narcotic (NA) Anonymous. We review this group’s creation, processes and procedures, and outcomes, including changes in cognition, mood, and affect over time for members in the group.

All part of the process? A qualitative examination of change in online child pornography behaviors

ABSTRACT Over the past two decades, there has been increased attention on offending behaviors and motivations of child pornography offenders (CPOs). Although existing research has provided a knowledgeable foundation in regard to this offending subpopulation, the literature has been relatively limited on examining changes in offender behaviors and motivations. This study used interviews with 25 online CPOs in a southern state to identify themes underlying offending behaviors and motives at onset, as well as, continuation of offending over time. We found that offenders reported various circumstances (ranging from intentional to unintentional) and motivations (including thrill-seeking and attraction) at onset; however, CPOs reported thrill-seeking and attraction to be the most common factors driving their continued offending. We applied these themes to the existing literature on child pornography offending and recommended directions for future research. Based on our findings, we offered considerations for the treatment of CPOs.

Introduction for special issue on desistance from sexual offending

We are proud and excited to introduce this special issue as the first deliverable of the recently formulated collaborative organization – the Sex Offense Policy Research Working Group (SOPR). This group is made up of academics and practitioners who came together with a shared vision to produce and disseminate research. Our goal is to encourage evidence based public policy that addresses the treatment, management, and prevention of sexual offending in our communities. Our mission is to build ‘a supportive community for both established and emerging scholars in the field, forging constructive partnerships with policymakers and criminal agencies, and advancing empirical knowledge to inform the development and implementation of evidence-informed public polices’ (www.sopresearch.org/bylaws).

Are self-identified Christian fundamentalists really more supportive of capital punishment? Exploring the relationship between fundamentalism and death penalty attitudes

Abstract Christian fundamentalism has often been linked to death penalty support, despite mixed results across more than a decade of empirical studies. More recently, a line of research has emerged that has called for a reconceptualization of fundamentalism as harsh and rigid, instead of being more a multifaceted concept. In the spirit of this call, we investigated the relative importance of Christian fundamentalism on death penalty attitudes when compared with non-religious social attitudes. Using 1,560 respondents from the 2008 General Social Survey data, we found self-identified Christian fundamentalism, though not biblical literalism or religious denomination, remained a significant predictor of death penalty attitudes when attitudes toward LGBT marriage equality were included in the model. Unexpectedly, white women who endorsed LGBT marriage equality were also more likely to support the death penalty. Based on our findings, we discuss implications and areas for future research.