Adolescents’ Awareness of Sex Offender Registration Policies and Self-Reported Sexual Offending

What is it about?

This study investigated whether teens know that certain sexual behaviors (e.g., sexting, exposing oneself) could land them on a sex offender registry. Many didn’t realize that adolescents could be registered as sex offenders, and about a third of those who thought they could not be registered were very sure in their erroneous belief. Nearly half the teens had done at least one of offending behaviors assessed. The teens who did know about the registration policies were just as likely to engage in these behaviors as those who did not know about them.

Featured Image

Photo by Maxim Tolchinskiy on Unsplash

Photo by Maxim Tolchinskiy on Unsplash

Why is it important?

The findings from this study support a growing amount of research showing that adolescent sex offender policies are not effective in stopping teens from engaging in illegal sexual behaviors. Being aware of the policies does not reduce their likelihood of engaging in risky behaviors, a clear sign that reforms are needed.