Source: childhood-usa.org 2025 [page 48] Improve the response to youth who have engaged in PSB by: • Prohibiting the use of harmful assessment and management approaches—including the use of polygraph tests • Promoting evidence-based, trauma-informed treatment programs designed for youth who have engaged in PSB • Eliminating sex offender registration in all cases of children adjudicated delinquent, without exception When a child or teen has engaged in problematic sexual behavior (PSB) the first instinct might be to reach for the harshest tools—such as invasive assessments, criminal charges and sex offender…
Read MoreCategory: Research
Male victims of intimate partner violence: Insights from twenty years of research
Source: openaccessgovernment.org 5/30/25 Denise A. Hines, Ph.D., Enochs Endowed Professor of Social Work at the College of Public Health, George Mason University, explores the often-overlooked issue of male victims of intimate partner violence (IPV) Men’s victimization from intimate partner violence (IPV) has been documented since the first US population-based study in 1975. (1) A review of 246 studies (2011–2022) found that 11.8% of men experience physical IPV, compared to 14.6% of women. (2) Despite decades of evidence, there is limited recognition of male IPV victims. Global data confirm that men represent a substantial proportion…
Read MoreDigitally Branded: The Developmental Catastrophe of Juvenile Sex Offender Registries [paper]
Source: SSRN and authored by Tammi Walker 6/6/25 Abstract Juvenile sex offender registration was never a natural fit for the youth justice system, but in the digital age, it has become deeply harmful. What began as a paper-based precaution has evolved into a sprawling digital regime that permanently brands adolescents at the most formative stage of life. This article examines how technological change has turned registration into a publicly searchable network of stigma—amplified by data aggregators, search engines, neighborhood apps, and real estate platforms—that makes youthful misbehavior both permanent and…
Read MoreBias in Sentencing Men for Sexual Offenses Against Minors: Male Victims Bring More Punitive Sentences Than Female Victims
Source: onlinelibrary.wiley.com 5/24/25 ABSTRACT Prior theoretical and empirical research examining the influence of sex on sentencing has been primarily concerned with the sex of the offender, as opposed to the victim. The present study drew on a convenience sample of males (n = 1190) in state and federal correctional facilities across the country, examining minimum sentences in relation to crime type. The analysis focused on individuals convicted of contact or enticement sexual offenses against minors (n = 380), finding that adult male offenders were sentenced to longer sentences when involved with male versus female…
Read MoreExplaining Male Sex Offender Recidivism: Accounting for Differences in Correctional Supervision
Abstract Purpose: Contrary to public opinion, empirical studies have consistently shown that persons convicted of a sexual offense (PCSO) are less likely to recidivate with a general offense. While researchers often point toward the surreptitiousness of sexual offending to explain low rates of recidivism, this paper tests a novel explanation: SOs recidivate at lower rates than persons convicted of a non-sexual offense (PCNSO) because they are more often revoked to prison before they are able to commit a new crime, perhaps owing to more restrictive post-release supervision guidelines. Methods: Using…
Read MoreA Critical Assessment of the First Step Act’s Recidivism-Reduction Measures
ABSTRACT The First Step Act of 2018 (“FSA”) is the most impactful federal sentencing reform of the past 40 years. While the Act represents a partial resurgence of the rehabilitative model of imprisonment, which had fallen out of favor decades before, it also represents a missed opportunity to fully integrate evidence-based rehabilitation programs for those offenders who pose the greatest risks to public safety. The public has a strong interest in reducing recidivism, particularly among violent offenders, most of whom will be released from federal prison eventually. The FSA incentivizes…
Read MoreSex Offender Registry Statistics: 2024 Data for All 50 States
Source: safehome.org 9/17/24 Each year, we search out sex offender data from all 50 states to see which regions have the largest registries and how rates of sex-related offenses are changing across the country. Unfortunately, in 2024, the total number of registered sex offenders approached 800,000 nationwide, and the population-adjusted rate of registrants increased by about two percent. In addition to searching every state’s sex offender database, we also analyzed publicly available crime and child abuse data to determine if regional patterns exist regarding sexual violence in the U.S. Here…
Read MoreNew report, One Size Fits None, explores counterproductive and difficult conditions of probation in all 50 states
Source: prisonpolicy.org 10/15/24 Easthampton, Mass. — A new report from the Prison Policy Initiative provides one of the most comprehensive 50-state compilations of “standard” conditions of probation to date, shining a light on the burdensome rules that govern the lives of nearly 3 million people and that doom many to inevitable further punishments. The report, One Size Fits None, and accompanying data organize probation rules from 76 jurisdictions into topical categories — allowing readers to compare rules in their state to other states, and exposing how these systems turn even everyday behaviors into acceptable reasons for…
Read MoreSex Offenders’ Risk Assessment Process and Effects on Jurisdiction Transitioning
Source: scholarworks.waldenu.edu 8/23/23 Abstract The Adam Walsh Act created sex offender notification and registration requirements to encourage state compliance toward federal guidelines and assigned threat levels to registered sex offenders using mandated assessment processes. Researchers have pointed out that the transition by states using tiered assessment processes to the federally mandated guidelines has led to operational changes to state registration procedures. The purpose of this quantitative study was to understand the effects and impacts on jurisdictions transitioning the designation of registered sex offenders’ threat assessment levels from a formal risk-based…
Read MoreAbolish or Reform? An Analysis of Post-Release Supervision
Source: papers.ssrn.com 6/14/24 Abstract At year-end 2021, there were nearly four million individuals serving a term of probation, parole, or post-release supervision in the United States. This paper uses a unique and detailed dataset to study two distinct changes to state law that eliminated and then reinstated post-release supervision for a subset of the population released from Kansas prisons. Each of these changes occurred in very different periods of criminal justice policy (2000 and 2013 respectively), but yielded the same result: post-release supervision caused large increases in reimprisonment with no…
Read MoreResource: Fact Checked by Woodhull to counter harmful misinformation about sex and sexuality
Source: woodhullfoundation.org 4/25/24 WOODHULL INITIATIVE FACT CHECKS S*X MYTHS AND MISINFORMATION WITH ANALYSIS AND DATA (Washington, DC, April 25, 2024) The Woodhull Freedom Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting sexual rights as human rights, is leading the charge to counter harmful misinformation about sex and sexuality that is rampant both on social media and in our political discourse. Woodhull’s newly launched Fact Checked by Woodhull program uses peer-reviewed research, compiled and analyzed by professional researchers, to debunk myths weaponized to justify the repression of sex, sexuality, and gender expression. The first set…
Read MoreIL: SIU researcher’s team advocates for new assessment, treatment approach for juvenile sex offenders
Source: news.siu.edu 7/6/23 CARBONDALE, Ill. — Tamara Kang, assistant professor in Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s School of Psychological and Behavioral Sciences, and her colleagues have created a new research-based assessment for juvenile sex offenders, which they say is more accurate, effective and beneficial for the young offenders and society as a whole than current systems. And since 95-97% of juveniles won’t reoffend, the team recommends treatment over incarceration. “A lot of times the public views juveniles with sex offenses as really dangerous, but the vast majority of them aren’t different…
Read MoreGoogle Contractor Pays Parents $50 to Scan Their Childrens’ Faces
Source: 404media.co 1/4/24 Google is collecting the eyelid shape and skin tone of children via parent submitted videos, according to a project description online reviewed by 404 Media. Canadian tech conglomerate TELUS, which says it is working on Google’s behalf, is offering parents $50 to film their children wearing various props such as hats or sunglasses as part of the project, the description adds. The project shows the methods some companies are using to build machine learning, artificial intelligence, or facial recognition datasets and products. Rather than scraping already existing…
Read MoreSurvey request to the mothers of individuals on the U.S. sex offender registry
Source: Kimberly A. Ingold, Graduate Student from the Criminal Justice Sciences Department at Illinois State University Dear mothers of those on the registry: Please consider taking this survey: If you are a registrant, please consider forwarding this email to your mother and encouraging her to take it. It will bring awareness to the mothers of individuals on the sex offender registry and the struggles that they endure, and help mental health practitioners gain a better understanding of these women’s experiences so that they can provide better services and treatment to…
Read MoreSentencing child sex abusers: When the victim becomes the offender
Source: phys.org 5/30/23 Child sex abuse is one of the most heinous criminal offenses, so when a victim becomes an offender, it’s evidence of a system failure. When a ‘victim-offender’ is sentenced in court, a University of South Australia researcher is recommending judges acknowledge the offender’s early trauma, in conjunction with the consequences for the crime, in their sentencing comments. The call for this to become best practice, follows new research that demonstrates multiple instances where judges implicitly or explicitly assumed knowledge that a victim-offender ‘should have known better.” UniSA…
Read More10 tips for parents to teach children about boundaries
Source: dailyherald.com 4/16/23 The statistics are sobering: one in three females and one in 20 males will experience sexual abuse or sexual assault by the time they reach age 17. The idea that anyone would sexually abuse a child is terrifying, especially for parents and caregivers. But like any risk our children might face, we need to be able to empower them with information that will help them recognize unsafe situations. April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, a good time to share the message that all people have the right…
Read MoreJuvenile detention staff who sexually victimized children face few legal sanctions, study says
Source: msn.com 4/1/23 Most juvenile detention staff who sexually victimized children faced no legal repercussions for their actions, according to a U.S. Department of Justice report that examined substantiated incidents from 2013 through 2018. The Bureau of Justice Statistics study released Friday found that among 499 substantiated incidents, perpetrators faced legal action 31% of the time, and that incidents were typically handled internally, with a reprimand or discipline, demotion or temporary suspension. In half the cases, the violator was discharged, terminated or their contract not renewed. “These findings are a grim illustration of how children in…
Read MoreKent State Univ. is seeking young adult research participants who have been incarcerated
Source: Kent State University research Kent State research is seeking young adults who have been in the justice system. Examples: arrested, been to court, been incarcerated. They want to understand how these experiences affect growing up and becoming an adult. Virtual interviews will be 60-90 minutes. They will record only your voice. We will give you a $25 gift card in compensation for your time. Contact Maddy Steward for more information by email or text: [email protected] Text 330-474-9108
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