Encyclopedia of Psychology and Law

reconviction rates of registered and unregistered sex

offenders. About 3% of registered sex offenders were

convicted of a new sex crime after 4 years, compared

with the 3.5% recidivism rate of unregistered sex

offenders. In Wisconsin, it was found that high-risk sex

offenders exposed to aggressive community notifica-

tion actually had higher rates of recidivism (19%) than

those about whom little information was publicly dis-

closed (12%). A multistate study examining the effect

of registration and notification laws in 10 states found

no systematic reduction in sex crime rates after registra-

tion and notification laws were passed. A more recent

study conducted in Washington state did find substantial

reductions in sex offense recidivism. However, it is

unclear whether the changes can be directly attributed to

notification or whether they are a result of more strin-

gent sentencing and probation policies.

Unintended Consequences of

Community Notification

Community notification laws have been criticized as

creating unforeseen negative consequences for vic-

tims, communities, and offenders. For instance, vic-

tims may be discouraged from reporting sexual abuse,

especially if the perpetrator is a family member,

because of the potential for the crime to be publicly

disclosed. Broad notification that disseminates infor-

mation about all sex offenders regardless of risk may

dilute the community’s ability to determine who is

truly dangerous if all offenders are similarly publi-

cized. Finally, the high costs of community notifica-

tion may take away funding from victims’ treatment,

protective services, and foster care programs.

A small but growing body of research has begun to

investigate the experiences of sex offenders and the

impact of notification on their community reintegra-

tion. Research in several states has found that commu-

nity notification often leads to harassment, vigilantism,

and migration for sex offenders. Sex offenders report

that public disclosure interferes with their ability to

secure housing and employment. Some scholars have

speculated that public registries may not be advanta-

geous to a goal of preventing recidivism, because they

create obstacles to successful community reentry by

limiting education and employment opportunities and

by creating social environments marked by shame,

loneliness, instability, and psychosocial stress.

The practical, legal, and social consequences of

crime may be more severe for sex offenders than for

other criminals. Obstacles such as maintaining housing

and employment, social stigma, a sense of vulnerabil-

ity, and relationship problems are recognized as factors

that can facilitate recidivism. Criminological research

has indicated that employment, positive social bonds,

and stability increase the likelihood of successful rein-

tegration for criminal offenders. Social policies that

ostracize and disrupt the stability of sex offenders may

increase their risk and, therefore, may not be in the best

interests of public safety. States that assess risk and

reserve more aggressive notification for high-risk

offenders may minimize potential unintended negative

consequences for lower-risk offenders, with little prob-

ability of compromising community safety.

Although each state prohibits harassment or vio-

lence toward registered sex offenders, community

notification has been known to lead to vigilantism.

Though extreme vigilante violence appears to be rela-

tively rare, cases of arson, shootings, hangings, and

severe property damage have been documented.

Murders of registered sex offenders by vigilantes have

occurred in Maine, Washington, and New Hampshire.

A survey of sex offenders in Florida found that one

third reported being threatened or harassed, 21% suf-

fered property damage, and 5% said they had been

physically assaulted or injured. In Kentucky, 16% of

male sex offenders and 15% of female sex offenders

said that they had been physically attacked. In Indiana

and Connecticut, about 20% of sex offenders reported

that they had experienced harassment, threats, or

property damage, and 10% had been assaulted.

The accuracy of Internet registries has been criti-

cized by the media. The validity of registries can

affect their ability to protect the public. In 2003, the

Boston Heraldreported that the whereabouts of 49%

of registered sex offenders in Massachusetts were

unknown. Research regarding the accuracy of

Kentucky’s sex offender registry revealed that about

one quarter of registered addresses might be incorrect.

Newspapers in Florida reported that nearly half of the

sex offenders on the state’s Internet registry were

incarcerated, dead, or missing.

Recidivism, Risk Assessment, and

Community Notification Practices

Community notification is a very popular social policy,

largely because of the belief that sex offenders have

alarmingly high recidivism rates. In actuality, sex

offense recidivism is lower than commonly believed.

Studies by the U.S. Department of Justice and the

Canadian governments suggest that 5% to 14% of sex

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