Effectiveness of Sex Offender Registration and Notification Policies in Reducing Sexual Violence Against Women
| 2006-WG-BX-0002 | $484,106 |
| Principal Investigator: | Elizabeth Letourneau |
| Title: | Effectiveness of Sex Offender Registration and Notification Policies in Reducing Sexual Violence Against Women |
| Monitor: | Karen Bachar |
| The purpose of this study is to examine the effectiveness of sex offender registration and community notification policies in reducing sexual violence against women and girls. To date, effects of broad sex offender registration and notification policies have been almost entirely exempt from empirical review. The present study will evaluate sex offender registration and notification policies as applied in South Carolina to determine whether these policies have deterred new sexual offenses or reduced sexual recidivism. Additionally, this study will examine whether an unintended effect has occurred; that is, whether the prosecution or conviction of individuals arrested for serious sexual offenses might have declined since policy implementation, perhaps due to perceived harshness of these policies. Because general crime rates have declined over the past decade, data on robbery and aggravated assault will also be examined to control for reductions in sex offenses. | |
Date Entered: November 29, 2007