LABELED FOR LIFE: A Review of Youth Sex Offender Registration Laws

Over 200,000 individuals are on sex offender registries for offenses committed when they were children. Registration can be life-long and can be imposed without any inquiry into the child’s individual circumstances or progress in treatment. Some states require community notification in addition to registration and reporting requirements. Many young people face registration as a consequence of developmentally normal behavior, including playing doctor, streaking, sexting, and consensual teen romances. While some youth commit serious sexual harm and should be held accountable for this conduct, they also need support and effective interventions to change their behavior; the vast majority of youth who act out sexually do not recidivate. A meta-analysis reviewing 107 studies found that across behavior type, over 97% of children charged with sexual offenses never harm sexually again. Moreover, after almost 30 years of placing children on registries, empirical research concludes that the practice does not prevent or reduce sexual violence. Rather, placing young people on registries fuels cycles of homelessness, incarceration, and trauma, for both the registrant and survivors.

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7 thoughts on “LABELED FOR LIFE: A Review of Youth Sex Offender Registration Laws

  • August 30, 2020

    For life after told 10 years, near 25 years now, after a two year probation, destroyed the prine of my life, now in 60’s with next to nothing, especially not my pride. Lost liberty for the sake of safety

    Reply
  • August 28, 2020

    If you going to put someone on a sex registry. Then tell the public the truth about what actually happened in the crimes. Like if it was a consent case, the victim lied under oath, etc. by adding a web link to real facts about the case. Or adding a small synopsis about your case. Not just list the charges. So where it let the public make their own opinion about your crime. Most people don’t care or want to waste their time looking up your case.. Or not aware of how the government has actually failed society in really protecting children.

    Reply
  • August 26, 2020

    I was 19 years old in 1989, No laws on the books I am now 50 yrs old and had many hurtful and painful relationships in the past. A lot of woman and men too judge you for having sex with 15 yr old chick The sad part I am 4 yrs and 21 days older than her. I can’t even used Romeo and Juliet law. Other people who committed crime find forgiveness but behold have consent sex and your life is destroyed. I guess robbing little old ladies welfare checks and hustler senior citizens out of their IRA and saving, and other property Is more accepted to others than having consent sex…. The same people who judge and past sentence on you do the same crap behide closed doors perhaps worst but never gotten caught yet.

    Reply
  • August 25, 2020

    I am on it for charges from when I was 16. Im now 47. This is no joke. Its a horrible thing to expierence. Its 100% harmful and punitive.

    Reply
  • August 25, 2020

    Can’t consent to sex at the 15 but be 15 and commit a crime you prove your adult enough to be charged and take the penalty like one.

    Reply
  • August 25, 2020

    You want proof that sex offender registries have absolutely nothing to do with protecting children , this article has the proof and statistics and facts to back it up. But who is willing to listen? Not politicians who are only interested in re-election and there pawn judges and elected cops.

    Reply
    • August 25, 2020

      Praying for all who have and are suffering because of insane restrictive laws that don’t help in the long run.

      Reply

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