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43 J. Soc. & Soc. Welfare 39 (2016)
Fear and Misinformation as Predictors of Support for Sex Offender Management Policies

handle is hein.journals/jrlsasw43 and id is 223 raw text is: Fear and Misinformation as Predictors of Support for Sex Offender Management Policies Poco KERNSMITH ERIN COMARTIN Wayne State University ROGER KERNSMITH Eastern Michigan University This study investigated the public's agreement with sex offend- er management policies. Respondents (N = 703) were randomly sampledfrom the state ofMichigan, using a CATIsystem. Two path- analysis models were used to test if personal characteristics, level of fear of sex offenders, and misinformation regarding this population were predictive of agreement with: (a) sex offender registration and community notification policies; and (b) more severe sanctions (life in prison and chemical castration). The findings suggest that greaterfear of sex offenders and acceptance of misinformation were predictive of more support of sex offender management policies. Research has found that these policies are costly and ineffective in promoting community safety. Effective and efficient policy develop- ment occurs when policy is based on evidence. Community and leg- islative education may promote thoughtful policy development that holds offenders accountable and promotes successful reintegration. Key words: sex offenders, sex offenses, publicfear, policy The public's knowledge of sex offenders is often times comprised of overgeneralizations and misperceptions. These beliefs are founded upon our shared knowledge of this par- ticular type of offender, which often stem from representations found in the media. In addition, there is a high level of fear towards this population due to the level of harm that is done to victims of sexual crime. To protect the public from these Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare, June 2016, Volume XLIII, Number 2 39

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