Public Attitudes Toward Applying Sex Offender Registration Laws to Juvenile Offenders

Authors

Jessica M. Salerno, The University of Illinois at Chicago
Margaret C. Stevenson, University of Evansville
Tisha R. A. Wiley, The University of Illinois at Chicago
Cynthia J. Najdowski, University at Albany, State University of New YorkFollow
Bette L. Bottoms, The University of Illinois at Chicago
Rachel A. Schmillen, The University of Illinois at Chicago

Author ORCID Identifier

Cynthia Najdowski: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3624-9188

Document Type

Book Chapter

Publication Date

2010

Abstract

In this chapter, we provide a summary of current registration laws for juvenile sex offenders across the United States and discuss the assumptions that drive these laws. We consider whether these assumptions have been supported or refuted by the research produced on the topic thus far. Then, turning to new data from our own laboratory, we discuss public perceptions of registration laws. This is an important issue because expansion of registry laws to juveniles might be driven by strong public support—or politicians' and policy makers' perceptions that there is public support—for expansion of the registry. As we discuss, research does indeed suggest that there is strong public support for registration laws for adult sex offenders, but is there such strong public support for registration laws for juvenile sex offenders? What factors influence support for these laws? To answer these questions, we present findings from new research investigating attorneys' and laypersons' perceptions of registration laws.

Comments

This is the Author's Accepted Manuscript of a book chapter published by Psychology Press (now Routledge/CRC Press). There Version of Record can be found here: Salerno, J. M., Stevenson, M. C., Wiley, T. R. A., Najdowski, C. J., Bottoms, B. L., & Doran, R. A. (2010). Public attitudes toward applying sex offender registration laws to juvenile offenders. Invited chapter in J. M. Lampinen & K. Sexton-Radek (Eds.), Protecting children from violence: Evidence based interventions (pp. 193-217). Psychology Press.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.

Recommended Citation

Salerno, J. M., Stevenson, M. C., Wiley, T. R. A., Najdowski, C. J., Bottoms, B. L., & Doran, R. A. (2010). Public attitudes toward applying sex offender registration laws to juvenile offenders. Invited chapter in J. M. Lampinen & K. Sexton-Radek (Eds.), Protecting children from violence: Evidence based interventions (pp. 193-217). Psychology Press.