Failure to Register as a Predictor of Sex Offense Recidivism: The Big Bad Wolf or a Red Herring?
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
12-2-2011
Abstract
This quasi-experimental study analyzed the recidivism outcomes of 1,125 sexual offenders in two groups. The first group comprised 644 registered sex offenders who were convicted of a sex crime and at some point failed to register after release from prison. The comparison group contained 481 registered sex offenders released from prison during a similar time frame who did not fail to register after their release. The groups were then tracked for both sexual and nonsexual offenses to determine whether failure to register under Megan's Law is predictive of reoffending. Failure to register was not a significant predictor of sexual recidivism, casting doubt on the belief that sex offenders who are noncompliant with registration are especially sexually dangerous. Few differences between groups were detected, but FTR offenders were more likely to have sexually assaulted a stranger and to have adult female victims, further challenging the stereotype of the child predator who absconds to evade detection. Potential policy implications are discussed.
Publication
Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment
Publisher
SAGE Publications
Volume
24
Issue
4
Pages
328-349
Department
College of Arts and Sciences
Recommended Citation
Zgoba, K. M., & Levenson, J. S. (2011). Failure to register as a predictor of sex offense recidivism: The big bad wolf or a red herring? Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment, 24(4), 328-349. https://doi.org/10.1177/1079063211421019
Comments
Article first published online: December 2, 2011; Issue published: August 1, 2012