Diffusion of shame: Experiences of sex offender family support networks

• In Event: Convict Criminology Session 4: Advances in Sex Offender Policy Research: Collateral Impacts and Experiences

Abstract

Although much descriptive information has been learned about the consequences sex offenders' family members experience when their loved ones have been placed on the registry, little is known about how these consequences affect family members' abilities to provide the informal support sex offenders need to desist from offending. This paper interviews spouses, parents, and adult children of sex offenders to determine how effects from public notification affect their relationships with their offender loved ones, their relationships with their friends and support networks, and relationships with their extended family members. The results can be used to help develop services for family members of registered sex offenders so they can continue to provide the support offenders need to aid in desistance.

Author

• Danielle Bailey, University of Nebraska at Omaha