Development and Refinement of a Measure of Attitudes Toward Sex Offender Treatment (original) (raw)
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Psychology, Crime & Law, 2014
The Community Attitudes Toward Sex Offenders (CATSO) scale is an 18-item selfreport questionnaire designed to measure respondents' attitudes toward sex offenders. Its original factor structure has been questioned by a number of previous studies, and so this paper sought to reimagine the scale as an outcome measure, as opposed to a scale of attitudes. A face validity analysis produced a provisional three-factor structure underlying the CATSO: 'punitiveness,' 'stereotype endorsement,' and 'risk perception.' A sample of 400 British members of the public completed a modified version of the CATSO, the Attitudes Toward Sex Offenders scale, the General Punitiveness Scale, and the Rational-Experiential Inventory. A three-factor structure of a 22-item modified CATSO was supported using half of the sample, with factors being labeled 'sentencing and management,' 'stereotype endorsement,' and 'risk perception.' Confirmatory factor analysis on data from the other half of the sample endorsed the three-factor structure; however, two items were removed in order to improve ratings of model fit. This new 20-item 'Perceptions of Sex Offenders scale' has practical utility beyond the measurement of attitudes, and suggestions for its future use are provided.
Examination of societal reaction to sexual offenders reveals a history of harshness exemplified by the sexual psychopath laws of the 1930s. The latest round of legal attempts to control sex offenders uses Severe sentencing laws, civil commitment procedures and community notification statutes to confine and shame sex offenders. This paper shows these laws to be based on popular beliefs about the predatory nature of these men, the probability of their re-offense and their amenability to treatment rather than the facts about the sex offenses and offenders. The severe reaction to sexual offenders is a vindictive one based on myth and misunderstanding that serves many interests. The paper exposes the contradictory myths and skewed emotions that guide our view of sex crimes and compares these with the facts about re-offense rates and the effects of treatment.
Attitudes towards sexual offenders: What do we know, and why are they important?
Aggression and Violent Behavior, 2017
Over the past two decades, a large body of research on attitudes towards sexual offenders has been conducted across a number of different contexts. However, there has been less discussion of their implications. Clinically, attitudes may be related to therapeutic climates and treatment outcomes and risk judgments, while in the social context, the views of the public about sexual offenders may play a key role in the reintegration of these offenders, and the political responses associated with sexual offending. Sexual crime is advocated as a public health issue, with attitudes towards the perpetrators of such offenses being of critical importance when trying to create a social environment within which to successfully reduce rates of sexual offending. In this article, the research evidence currently available in this area is reviewed. An analysis of the conceptualization and measurement of attitudes towards sexual offenders is provided, before the existing literature on the factors underlying such attitudes is explored. Following this, the malleability of attitudes towards sexual offenders is examined. The review concludes with some suggestions for future theoretical, empirical, and practical advancements in this important area.
Research on Social Work Practice, 2007
Objectives: The objective of this study was to examine the nature of individual attitudes toward sex offenders. Because the term "sex offender" tends to evoke strong emotions, and given that open-ended self reports tend to be highly subjective, particularly in the context of such pointed terminology, this study sought to develop an attitude assessment tool that addresses specific domains found in the literature. Methods: Through a number of iterations, the Community Attitudes Toward Sex Offenders Scale was developed. Results: Exploratory and subsequent confirmatory factor analyses found a four-factor, 18-item version to best represent the domains of interest. Factor and item characteristics are reported. Conclusions: Replication and extension to other populations appears warranted.
Myths and facts about sexual offenders: Implications for treatment and public policy
Sexual Offender Treatment, 2007
Aim: The purpose of this study was to determine to what extent perceptions about sexual offenders are based on empirical evidence or misconceptions. Background: Sexual offenders have often been under the spotlight of media attention and public censure. Legislatures in the United States and abroad have passed increasingly restrictive and intrusive laws in order to protect the public from convicted sexual offenders. Sex offender policies are often passed hastily and are not based on scientific evidence but on ...
Mcnair Scholars Research Journal, 2013
This preliminary report explores female prisoner attitudes toward sex offenders (F-PATSO) held by incarcerated women at a medium security, state correctional facility. Utilizing the 18-question Community Attitudes Toward Sex Offender (CATSO-R) scale (Church, 2008) and eight demographic variables, researchers distributed selfadministered surveys to 102 female inmates over the course of two days. For the purpose of this paper, and in order to determine if there is any variation in attitudes between groups, the author examines the prevalence of lifetime sexual abuse as reported by the inmates in relation to their attitudes toward sex offenders based on one of four factored areas from the CATSO-R instrument: Capacity to Change. Researchers of the F-PATSO study hypothesized that prisoner attitudes would likely mirror the measured attitudes of professionals and others who work with, and have personal experience with, sex offenders. In particular, the attitudes of the F-PATSO participants were compared to the attitudes of probation and community corrections workers in Montana, who were recently surveyed using the CATSO-R scale.
Victims' Attitudes Toward Sex Offenders and Sex Offender Legislation
International journal of offender therapy and comparative criminology, 2017
It is commonly assumed that victims of sexual abuse feel more negatively toward sex offenders and advocate for harsher punishments than individuals who have not been victimized. This belief was examined by comparing attitudes toward sex offenders and their treatment, support of registration, notification, and residence restriction policies, as well as general knowledge about sex offenders between a sample of 129 individuals who reported sexual victimization and a sample of 841 individuals who did not report sexual victimization. Overall, we found that victims of sexual abuse reported more positive attitudes toward sex offenders and were more supportive of mandated treatment compared with nonvictims. However, while victims showed decreased support for the community notification laws, there were no differences in support of residence restrictions laws compared with those who reported no victimization. Finally, knowledge about sex offenders predicted attitudes regardless of victim stat...
Development of a 21-item short form of the Attitudes to Sexual Offenders (ATS) Scale
Law and Human Behavior, 2018
The Attitudes to Sexual Offenders scale (ATS; Hogue, 1993) is one of the most widely-used measurement instruments for assessing views about sexual offenders. The ATS has been used in a variety of contexts, most commonly in comparing forensic professionals and non-professionals in relation to their views about this population. This paper offers a review of the methods used to examine attitudes toward sexual offenders currently available, before systematically outlining the validation of a 21-item shortened version of the ATS measure (the 'ATS-21'). First, we analyzed the ATS with regards to its underlying factor structure using a general community sample (Study 1; n = 188). This identified three factors: 'Trust', 'Intent', and 'Social Distance'. We subsequently supported this structure through confirmatory factor analysis in a new community sample (Study 2; n = 335) and Hogue's (1993) original ATS development data (Study 3; n = 170) in order to provide further evidence of its reliability. We also offer preliminary evidence of the ATS-21's test-retest reliability, consistency across multiple testing contexts, resistance to social desirability, and independence from related measures (Study 4; n = 59). We close by recommending the use of the ATS-21 for researchers examining attitudes toward sexual offenders and offer suggestions for a new unified research design to incorporate the ATS-21 into emerging research into the psychological underpinnings of attitudes and responses to sexual offenders.
Public perception of sex offender social policies and the impact on sex offenders
International journal of offender therapy and comparative criminology, 2009
This study examines the public perception of sex offender policies and the perceived impact of sex offender policies on the sex offenders themselves. Specifically, this study explores how the community feels about the effectiveness of policies such as registration and community notification (Megan's Law), and housing restrictions in reducing sexual recidivism. Data are collected from 115 participants from a nationwide online community message board. Results suggest that although most individuals support Megan's Law, they do not feel the policy reduces recidivism. Furthermore, the majority of the participants also do not believe that housing restriction statutes are effective in reducing sexual recidivism. When questioned about the policy impact on sex offenders, the majority of respondents agree that as a consequence of Megan's Law, sex offenders are afraid for their safety; however, they do not believe that residence restrictions hinder sex offenders' employment opp...