After megan and jacob: Changes in sex offending and sex offender processing-arrests, sentencing, community reintegration, treatment-since the passage of mid-1990s legislation

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-1-2015

Abstract

Mid-1990s laws like Megan's Law and the Jacob Wetterling Crimes against Children and Sexually Violent Offender Reintegration Act (the "Wetterling Act") signaled an increasing get-tough approach to handling individuals that perpetrate sex offenses, particularly crimes that target child victims. A plethora of federal and state laws pertaining to sex offenders followed; however, few of these laws were based in the science of what works to reduce recidivism. The passage of legislation sparked a flurry on research about the effectiveness of myriad sex offender treatment and management practices. This chapter reviews laws targeting sex offenders since the 1990s; trends in sex offending as measured by arrests and sentencing; and research about effective treatment and management of sexual offenders. The recent emergence of a focus on adult victims of rape at colleges and universities is discussed, including balancing the needs of victims with due process protections for the accused.

Publication Title

Sexual Harassment and Sex Offenders: Patterns, Coping Strategies of Victims and Psychological Implications

First Page Number

39

Last Page Number

54

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