Another Layer of Ignominy: Beliefs about Public Views of Sex Offenders

Abstract

A sample of college students (N = 664) estimated the extent to which “most people” would devalue and discriminate against persons with the labels “ex-convict” and “sex offender.” Respondents expect both groups to face rejection, with those labeled sex offender more strongly rejected than those labeled ex-convict. Analyses were conducted to determine if characteristics of evaluators were related to their beliefs about public views of sex offenders. Results show that being white, female, and a parent are significantly associated with these beliefs, as is having someone incarcerated among one's circle of family or friends. Knowing someone sexually abused is unrelated. Most of the variance, however, is accounted for by controls for beliefs about public views of ex-convicts. These findings suggest that perceived public rejection of sex offenders is linked to stereotypic views of criminal offenders in general and to membership in groups deemed most at risk in media portrayals. Future research on media-driven stereotypes is recommended.