"What "works" in preventing sex crime? How can policymakers respond to threats of sexual victimization in a manner that is effective, equitable, and sustainable? The second edition of Sex Crime, Offenders, and Society seeks to provide a knowledge base for addressing these questions. Based on feedback from reviewers and readers, the new edition retains the same structure as the first, examining three critical dimensions: the nature and extent of sex offending and explanations, societal responses, and sex crime policy and reform. It now includes updated statistics and references to influential scholarship throughout, a new chapter exploring sex crime in post-secondary institutions, and a concluding chapter that focuses on innovative policy and reform into the future"--

This book covers an array of sex crimes, sex offenders, and their victims. It provides an in-depth examination of the role fantasy and paraphilia play in the production of sex offending. While many paraphilia may not be considered criminal, others can be viewed as preparatory behavior that become foundational for violent sex crimes.

The sexualized serial murder of women by men is the subject of this provocative book. Jane Caputi argues that the sensationalized murders by men such as Jack the Ripper, Son of Sam, Hillside Strangler, and the Yorkshire Ripper represent a contemporary genre of sexually political crimes. The awful deeds function as a form of patriarchal terrorism, "disappearing" women at a rate of some four thousand annually in the United States alone. Caputi asks us not only to name the phenomenon of sexually political murder, but to recognize sex crime in all of its various interconnecting manifestations.

"This volume of readings provides an excellent source of information about sex offender laws and policies."--International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology "Sex Offender Laws...is a good source for balanced, objective, and thorough critique of our current sex offender policies as well as a source for accurate information about a very heterogeneous population...The message that sexual abuse is often a multifaceted and complex issue and that policy based on quick fixes or knee jerk reactions do not often work will be informative and enlightening to many readers." --Sex Roles "[T]his fine book by Richard Wright and his distinguished collaborators provides the evidence that wise policy-makers would want to consider. It covers every major field of research concerning sex offenders and sexual offenses and provides evidence of bad practices and policiesÖ.Intellectually honest politicians should read this book." --Michael Tonry, LL.B, Professor of Law and Public Policy University of Minnesota Law School (From the Foreword) In response to many high-profile cases of sexual assault, federal and state governments have placed a number of unique criminal sanctions on sex offenders. These include residency restrictions, exclusionary zones, electronic monitoring, and chemical castration. However, the majority of sex offender policies are not based on empirical evidence, nor have they demonstrated any significant reductions in offender recidivism. In fact, some of these policies have unintended consequences, which actually increase the likelihood of sexual offenses. In this book, Wright critically analyzes existing policies, and assesses the most effective approaches in preventing sex offender recidivism. This provocative and timely book draws from the fields of criminal justice, law, forensic psychology, and social work to examine how current laws and policies are enacted and what to-date is known about their efficacy. The team of expert contributors includes Karen Terry, author of Sexual Offenses and Offenders, and others who bring a wealth of insight to the field of sex offense. In response to the failed policies of sex offender laws, this book presents alternative models and approaches to sex offense laws and policies. Wright also explores critical, cutting-edge topics, such as internet sexual solicitation, the death penalty, and community responses to sex offense. Key Features: An introduction and overview of the history of sex offender laws Analyzes the role of the media in sex offense and sex offender policies Examines the political "untouchability" of sex offender laws and their adverse effects Features interviews with victims of sexual assault, investigating their points of views on what kinds of reforms need to be made to sex offender laws Thought-provoking and insightful, Sex Offender Laws serves as a vital resource for policy makers, researchers, and students of criminal justice, law, and social work.

Sex Crime, Third edition offers a comprehensive and integrative introduction to sex crime, written by an expert in the field. The third edition has been fully expanded and updated to include further coverage of a range of critical topics, including child sexual exploitation, child pornography, female sex offenders, treatment approaches such as the ‘Good Lives Model’ and the European Convention on Human Rights. Delving into and beyond the news headlines about sexual crimes that seem to appear on our screens and in our newspapers almost every day, this third edition draws on a range of high profile case studies, such as Vanessa George, Stuart Hall, Jimmy Savile and Operation Yewtree and also offers a review of all relevant legislation. This new edition also includes an analysis of possible causes of sex offending, as well as public and professional responses to sex crime. Including an examination of the policing of sexual crime; the prosecution of the accused; the sentencing and punishment of sexual offenders; and ‘public protection’ measures, this new edition covers all of the key aspects of sex crime and how it is dealt with. Wide-ranging and authoritative, Sex Crime, Third edition presents a complex area in a straightforward and understandable manner. Thomas guides the reader through the range of policies and law which have accumulated over the years, making this essential reading for academics and students engaged in the study of sex crime, sexual violence and the treatment of sex offenders. It will also be of great interest to criminal justice practitioners.

"When a South Carolina couple killed a registered sex offender and his wife after they moved into their neighborhood in 2013, the story exposed an extreme and relatively rare instance of violence against sex offenders. While media accounts would have us believe that vigilantes across the country lie in wait for predators who move into their neighborhoods, responses to sex offenders more often involve collective campaigns that direct outrage toward political and criminal justice systems. No community wants a sex offender in its midst, but instead of vigilantism, [the author] argues, citizens often leverage moral, political, and/or legal authority to keep these offenders out of local neighborhoods. Her book, the culmination of four years of research, 70 in-depth interviews, participant observations, and studies of numerous media sources, reveals the origins and characteristics of community responses to sexually violent predators (SVP) in the U.S. Specifically, [this book] examines the placement process for released SVPs in California and the communities’ responses to those placements. Taking the reader into the center of these related issues, [the author] provokes debate on the role of communities in the execution of criminal justice policies, while also addressing the responsibility of government institutions to both groups of citizens."--

This examination of our nation's sex crime laws and the social attitudes behind them argues that many citizens are being pursued as sex offenders for nonviolent and oftentimes consensual sexual behaviors. Cutting through the hysteria and hype, Reconsidering Sex Crimes and Offenders: Prosecution or Persecution? argues that while convicted violent sex offenders certainly should be punished, many laws targeting minor sexual offenses are outdated, overly severe, and too concerned with satisfying public outrage driven by distortions, misconceptions, and sensationalistic media coverage. Reconsidering Sex Crimes and Offenders is sure to challenge readers' understanding of who a sex offender is, how they should be treated, and how best to protect the community from such offenders. The book looks at how the legal definitions of certain offenses have changed over time and then explores a series of real-life case studies. Readers will discover how some citizens have been targeted and punished for consensual acts—including homosexuality, polygamy, and pornography. Additional coverage considers a number of highly controversial laws—from residency restrictions to the death penalty—and the media's role in fueling public support for them.