What do victim/survivors think about ‘sex offender registration and notification’ policies? A qualitative examination

Sex offender registration and notification policies enjoy widespread public support, but little has been documented on victim/survivors’ views about such measures. In particular, there is a dearth of qualitative research into victim/survivor views. However, victim/survivors of sexual violence are key stakeholders and hold unique knowledge about the efficacy of sex offender management policies. To address this gap, the research presented in this article captured qualitative data via semi-structured qualitative interviews (n = 26) with Australian self-identified victim/survivors of sexual violence. The study is the first detailed, qualitative investigation into victim/survivors’ views about sex offender registration and notification policies. Moreover, as research into victim/survivors often privileges the voices of women, the research presented here deliberately over-sampled male victim/survivors. The research documented that victim/survivor views about sex offender registration and notification are complex and diverse, with victim/survivors raising concerns about the ability of sex offender registration and notification policies to cause vigilantism, and to (contradictorily) create both panic and a false sense of security among the public. Where victim/survivors support sex offender registration and notification policies, they do so on predominantly utilitarian grounds, believing that sex offender registration and notification will equip the community to protect themselves. Policy implications of the study’s findings are discussed.