Perceptions About Sexual Offenses: Misconceptions, Punitiveness, and Public Sentiment

• Author: Laura L. King
• Published date: 01 March 2019
• Date: 01 March 2019
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1177/0887403416660150
• Subject Matter: Articles

https://doi.org/10.1177/0887403416660150

Criminal Justice Policy Review

2019, Vol. 30(2) 254 –273

© The Author(s) 2016

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DOI: 10.1177/0887403416660150

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Article

Perceptions About Sexual

Offenses: Misconceptions,

Punitiveness, and Public

Sentiment

Laura L. King1

Abstract

Decades of research on public opinion about crime reveal varying, yet relatively

punitive attitudes that are often riddled with misconceptions. Sparked by the

increased media and legislative attention devoted to sex offenders beginning in the

1990s, researchers began to more closely examine public opinion about sexual

offenses. Findings suggest the public adheres to several misconceptions about sexual

offenses and supports harsh sanctions for offenders. However, further research is

warranted to more closely examine the relationships among these variables. Thus,

the goal of the present study was to survey Pennsylvania residents to examine the

degree to which misconceptions about sexual offenses inform punitiveness. The

results supported the hypotheses in that a high level of support for misconceptions

and punitiveness was identified, and adherence to misconceptions was the strongest

predictor of punitiveness. These findings demonstrate a clear need for educational

and awareness efforts to dispel public misconceptions about sexual offending and

victimization.

Keywords

sex offenders, public opinion, punishment, media

Public opinion about crime has been a salient issue in the United States and other

democratic nations for decades (Roberts & Stalans, 1997). Evidence suggests that a

substantial portion of the public adheres to myths about crime (e.g., believes the crime

1Boise State University, ID, USA

Corresponding Author:

Laura L. King, Department of Criminal Justice, Boise State University, 1910 University Drive, Boise,

ID 83725, USA.

Email: lauraking2@boisestate.edu

660150CJPXXX10.1177/0887403416660150Criminal Justice Policy ReviewKing

research-article2016

King 255

rate to be steadily rising), is fearful of crime (e.g., afraid to walk home alone at night),

and is quite punitive toward offenders (e.g., belief that the courts are too lenient)

(Costelloe, Chiricos, & Gertz, 2009; Cullen, Fischer, & Applegate, 2000; Roberts &

Stalans, 1997; Toch & Maguire, 2014). However, findings have oscillated over time

and vary according to a number of factors such as respondent demographics (e.g., sex,

race/ethnicity, education level), offense characteristics, political environment, and

media (Applegate, Cullen, & Fisher, 2002; Callanan, 2005; Costelloe et al., 2009;

Toch & Maguire, 2014). As such, public opinion about crime is an important topic to

continue to examine due to its palpable impact on the criminal justice system (e.g.,

decision to report a crime, jury trials) and crime policy (Mears, Mancini, Gertz, &

Bratton, 2008; Toch & Maguire, 2014; Wood, 2009).

While many researchers have assessed public opinion about crime in general, some

have focused on specific types of offenses. Following the increasing media and legis-

lative attention devoted to sex crimes during the latter portion of the 20th century,

several studies emerged examining public attitudes about sexual offenses and offend-

ers. However, despite the increased attention to these attitudes over the past few

decades, further research is needed to more closely examine these perceptions among

public samples. A number of researchers have assessed these opinions among student

and practitioner samples, which, while certainly valuable, may not be representative of

the general public due to education level and other important differences. Moreover,

additional research examining predictors of attitudes about sexual offenses is war-

ranted to determine whether opinions are based on myths and misconceptions. Such

misinformed opinions would lend themselves to change through awareness and edu-

cational efforts about the realities of sexual offending and victimization risk. Thus, the

goal of this study was to assess public perceptions about sexual offenses with a focus

on the extent to which misconceptions predict punitiveness.

Literature Review

The public’s reaction to sexual offenses is one that is often marked by horror and dis-

gust, particularly over the past few decades due to the moral panic elicited by media

coverage of the most horrific sex crimes and the resulting laws to control and monitor

sex offenders in the community (e.g., registration, residence restrictions) (Anderson &

Sample, 2008; Callanan, 2005; Galeste, Fradella, & Vogel, 2012; Levenson, 2003;

Pickett, Mancini, & Mears, 2013; Quinn, Forsyth, & Mullen-Quinn, 2004; Sample &

Bray, 2003). Given the potential influence of public opinion on criminal justice policy

and case processing, it is important to examine the origins of these sentiments since

public knowledge about crime in general has been found to commonly be based on

media consumption, personal experience, or anecdotal evidence gleaned from others

(Callanan, 2005; Costelloe et al., 2009; Roberts & Stalans, 1997; Wood, 2009). In fact,

research indicates not only that public opinion about sexual offenses is indeed heavily

influenced by media but also that opinions are frequently riddled with myths and ste-

reotypes (Galeste et al., 2012; Malinen, Willis, & Johnston, 2014; Pickett et al., 2013;

Thakker, 2012).