Washington State: A Survey of Public Perceptions Regarding Sex Offenders and Sex Offender Policy

• In Event: Posters I

Abstract

As many sex offense policies are enacted with little supporting evidence, it is essential to understand how knowledgeable the general public is about the real risk that sex offenders pose and how this knowledge impacts attitudes regarding sex offender policy. Even more importantly, it is necessary to understand whether the public perceives different sex offenders differently (viewing some acts or some offenders as more risky or amenable to treatment), or whether all sex offenders (which actually represent a very heterogeneous group; (Marshall, 1996) are viewed similarly. Our study of the citizens in Washington State seeks to answer these questions in one of the first studies of its kind. Our presentation will be based on results obtained from the survey and how they impact policy recommendations and practice throughout the state.

Author

• Leah R. Fisher, Washington State Statistical Analysis Center