Percentage of Named Offenders on the Registry at the Time of the Assault: Reports From Sexual Assault Survivors

• NCJ Number: 238197
• Journal: Violence Against Women Volume: 17 Issue: 11 Dated: November 2011 Pages: 1374-1382
• Author(s): Sarah W. Craun; Catherine A. Simmons; Kristen Reeves
• Date Published: November 2011
• Length: 9 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This article discusses the purpose of sex offender registries.

Abstract

Sex offender registries were designed to protect the public from convicted sex offenders and future sexual violence. This study determines the percentage of clients seen at a sexual assault agency whose attacker was on the registry at the time the attack occurred. According to case files, only 3.7 percent of the identified offenders could possibly have been identified as a registered sex offender at the time of the attack. While considering the limitations of this methodology, the findings highlight a significant limitation of registries and support the idea that registries cannot be relied on exclusively to prevent sexual abuse. (Published Abstract)