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47 Sw. L. Rev. 33 (2017-2018)
Timeline of a Panic: A Brief History of Our Ongoing Sex Offense War

handle is hein.journals/swulr47 and id is 39 raw text is: TIMELINE OF A PANIC: A BRIEF HISTORY OF OUR ONGOING SEX OFFENSE WAR Emily Horowitz* INTRODUCTION This paper addresses the origins of our irrational and draconian sex- offense legal regime. Our current sex offense policies are rooted in public opinion and emotion, not sound social science research, data, or evidence. There are nearly 900,000 people now listed on public sex offense registries,' suffering from profound consequences including public humiliation and effective banishment. Many more are affected, including partners, parents, and children. These laws impact the rest of us by changing the way we raise our children and interact with our neighbors and communities. This paper seeks to unravel the bifurcation of sex offense realities and sex offense policies, by using a brief timeline of key political events, legal milestones, and research findings. I argue that politicized research was misused by political opportunists to develop laws based on the flawed but pervasive idea that those convicted of sex offenses became incurable and predatory monsters requiring-and deserving-lifetime punishment. TODAY (2017): SEX-OFFENSE PANIC IN EVERYDAY LIFE In May 2017, an Ask the Pediatrician column published on a website run by the American Academic of Pediatrics advised parents that children of any age should never use a public restroom alone, citing the National * Ph.D., Professor & Chair, Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice, St. Francis College, Brooklyn, NY 11201. This article is based on my keynote address to the 1st Annual Meeting of the Alliance for the Constitutional Reform of Sex Offense Laws at Southwestern Law School (August 2017). I would like to thank Lena Janoda for research and editorial assistance. 1. Map of Registered Sex Offenders in the United States, NAT'L CTR. FOR MISSING & EXPLOITED CHILD. (May 24, 2017), http://www.missingkids.com/enUS/ documents/SexOffendersMap.pdf. 33

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