TY - JOUR
T1 - Who accesses the sex offender registries? A look at legislative intent and citizen action in Nebraska
AU - Anderson, Amy L.
AU - Evans, Mary K.
AU - Sample, Lisa L.
PY - 2009/9
Y1 - 2009/9
N2 - States are required to maintain an Internet-based sex offender registry in order to comply with community notification laws. Such legislation, however, relies on citizens to proactively access information regarding sex offenders' whereabouts in order to take precautions to protect themselves and their families. This study examines the legislative intent, in terms of the target audience for sex offender community notification laws, and whether this audience is in fact using the online community notification tools available to the public. Survey responses from a representative sample of Nebraska residents and logistic regression are used to examine who is likely to access the registry information and also who is likely to take preventative action in response. Our findings and the implications of the results on notification laws are discussed.
AB - States are required to maintain an Internet-based sex offender registry in order to comply with community notification laws. Such legislation, however, relies on citizens to proactively access information regarding sex offenders' whereabouts in order to take precautions to protect themselves and their families. This study examines the legislative intent, in terms of the target audience for sex offender community notification laws, and whether this audience is in fact using the online community notification tools available to the public. Survey responses from a representative sample of Nebraska residents and logistic regression are used to examine who is likely to access the registry information and also who is likely to take preventative action in response. Our findings and the implications of the results on notification laws are discussed.
KW - Citizen action
KW - Community notification
KW - Sex offender legislation
KW - Sex offender notification
KW - State of Nebraska sex offender registry
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=75249093253&partnerID=8YFLogxK
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U2 - 10.1080/14786010903167096
DO - 10.1080/14786010903167096
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:75249093253
SN - 1478-601X
VL - 22
SP - 313
EP - 329
JO - Criminal Justice Studies
JF - Criminal Justice Studies
IS - 3
ER -