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Sex Offender Registries Essay

841 Words4 Pages

Currently in the United States it is a requirement by federal law that every state have sex offender registries. However, each state has different laws regarding these registries and the requirements in one state can greatly differ in another. Laws have been put into effect requiring that sex offenders place themselves on the registry without knowing if they are truly effective, and whether or not it helps in lowering recidivism rates. There are many myths surrounding sex offender registries and a large percentage of the public is greatly misinformed. Sex offender registries were created to make the public feel safer by knowing where these offenders are, but are not as effective as we may think. Surrounding the sex offender registry and …show more content…

Sex offender laws have been passed to make citizens feel safer. The idea that sex offender registries let you know where all sex offenders are is simply unrealistic. There are many factors that contribute to the ineffectiveness of these laws and policies. One of the biggest contributing factors is the fact that many offenders do not have a home or place of residence to list. Knowing where a sex offender is gives peace of mind, however not knowing where they are because they do not have a place to stay defeats the purpose of these laws entirely. How can a community feel safe if they know there is a sex offender in the area, but they do not know where they are? Another belief society has about sex offenders that is inaccurate is that they molested someone they didn’t know, when in reality the majority of sexual offenses are committed by someone the victim knew and trusted. Sex offenders are usually a trusted relative or friend to their victims. The belief that these registries are necessary to protect the general public is also untrue. A problem with this assumption is that the registries treat all offenders the same, not taking into account their risk level, severity of their crime or how they responded to treatment. These factors are all extremely important concerning these specific offenders, yet they still are not taken into account. It is another belief

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