Public Perceptions Toward Community Management Policies for Individuals Convicted of Sexual Offenses: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Community management policies for individuals convicted of sexual offenses (ICSO) are controversial, mainly because the effectiveness of these policies in reducing recidivism is limited and appear to have some collateral effects. Despite this, the current meta-analysis found the public highly support these policies. Studies examining public perceptions regarding community management policies for ICSO to understand levels of support, misconceptions about the policies, and factors affecting the views of the public were reviewed. After searching 7 electronic databases, 43 studies, both quantitative and qualitative, were included in the systematic review and 31 in the meta-analysis. Studies could be longitudinal or cross-sectional, needed to include public attitudes, opinions, and perceptions about ICSO community management policies and could include standardized or non-standardized measures, indirect assessments of attitudes, along with interviews and focus groups. Results suggest that overall, policies were supported by 76% of the public, 61% believed in their effectiveness, and 63% felt safer because of the policies. However, only 36% accessed the registry, 38% took preventive actions, and 40% were aware/concerned about the collateral consequences. All analyses yielded high levels of heterogeneity. Misconceptions about policies and ICSO were moderate. Finally, 36 studies explored factors that affected the public’s attitudes and perceptions of policies with a variety of significant associations and predictors. The findings provide comprehensive evidence that while these policies are supported by the public, the public have less belief in the effectiveness of them in protecting children and reducing recidivism. Implications for public policy and future research are discussed.

A thematic review on community governance from 2018 to 2023: Analysis of future research trends

“…It is pointed out that community medical facilities play an important role in improving the construction of resilient communities during public health emergencies. In addition, scholars have provided valuable suggestions on strengthening community disorderly behavior through community management policies from the perspective of the criminal justice system (Christensen et al, 2022;Sá nchez De Ribera et al, 2023). In short, with the arrival of an ageing society, public health and order have become new areas of CG (Figure 12).…”