The Labeling of Sex Offenders: The Unintended Consequences of the Best Intentioned Public Policies

by Sean Maddan

Overview

The Labeling of Sex Offenders contributes to the research on the effects of sex offender registration and notification policies using the labeling perspective. The labeling perspective asserts that offenders who are labeled are more likely to re-offend; this is counter to sex offender registration policies, which assume that knowing the identity and whereabouts of sex offenders is imperative to the public's ability to protect itself. This research used criminal data from the State of Arkansas within the framework of a quasi-experimental design to evaluate the recidivism of the first three waves of sex offenders registered (1997-1999) vs. a comparison group of sex offenders from a decade earlier (1978-1989). Key variables used to explain specific and general recidivism included the application of an active label, prior exposure to formal and informal labels, the intensity of the label, race, sex, and age. The findings presented by Madden indicate that there is no statistically significant difference between the two groups of sex offenders in terms of recidivism.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780761841234
Publisher:	University Press of America
Publication date:	08/29/2008
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	104
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.40(d)

About the Author

Sean Maddan is Assistant Professor in the Department of Criminology at the University of Tampa.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1. Introduction
Chapter 2. Review of Sex Offender Registration and Notification Research
Chapter 3. Sex Offender Registration and Notification Laws and the Labeling Perspective
Chapter 4. Methodology
Chapter 5. Analysis and Findings
Chapter 6. Conclusions and Discussion

Editorial Reviews

Maddan employed criminal data from the state of Arkansas to examine recidivism among sex offenders and determine the effects of registration policies on these behaviors. The author includes a thorough description of his research methodology, an analysis of his findings and conclusions, and logistic regression equations for both groups of offenders.

Research Book News

Maddan employed criminal data from the state of Arkansas to examine recidivism among sex offenders and determine the effects of registration policies on these behaviors. The author includes a thorough description of his research methodology, an analysis of his findings and conclusions, and logistic regression equations for both groups of offenders.

August 2009 Research Book News