Parental Attitudes Towards Juvenile Sex Offenders and Support of Juvenile Sex Offender Registration: A Virginia Study

• In Event: Public Opinion, Youth, and Juvenile Justice

Abstract

This project analyzes Virginia parents’ attitudes towards juvenile sex offenders, support of juvenile sex offender registration, knowledge of juvenile sex offense laws, and confidence in that knowledge. The sample includes 139 Virginia parents from three groups: those whose children have (1) not yet had contact with the criminal justice system, (2) have had system contact for an alleged sex offense, and (3) have had system contact for an alleged non-sex offense. Results from OLS regression models show that there is no significant difference in parents’ attitudes towards juvenile sex offenders or their support of juvenile sex offender registration, regardless of their child’s system contact category. Results from multinomial logistic regression models reveal that there is also no significant difference in the knowledge parents have about sex offense laws. However, results from OLS regression models show that parents whose child has had system involvement, especially for a non-sex offense, are more confident in their knowledge than parents whose child has not yet had system contact. Parents are a key resource in preventing offending. Empowering them with knowledge of the laws is important in helping them increase their confidence in their knowledge and increase their ability to effectively monitor their children.

Author

• Brittany Freelin, Randolph-Macon College