Examining Sexual Offender Perceptions in Tennessee
Abstract
Purpose. This thesis research attempted to examine the perceptions of sexual offenders in the state of Tennessee about the laws that govern them. Research Question. The primary question in this thesis was that age, race, education, and place of residence of sex offenders would influence their perceptions about sex offender laws and treatment. Data and methodology. A questionnaire was administered to sexual offenders attending therapy at the probation and parole office in Murfreesboro, Tennessee with 39 out of 40 offenders participating. Data from the survey was entered into SPSS implications of analysis. Findings. sex offenders age does not determine their feelings positively or negatively in regards to publics access to offenders on the internet. Race was strongly correlated with sex offender's opinion on their privacy being restricted. Education was moderately correlated with offender's opinion of internet, and sexual offender's education level was moderately correlated with offenders feeling they would possibly reoffend without treatment being available. Limitations. In this study there were a few limitations; the size of the sample and regrettable absence of a reliable scale to measure attitudes. Future Studies. comments for future research are apparent. Several studies need to be conducted to find what treatments work best for sexual offenders in different risk categories.
Subject Area
Behavioral Sciences|Criminology
Recommended Citation
Michelle Dennis,
"Examining Sexual Offender Perceptions in Tennessee"
(2009).
ETD Collection for Tennessee State University.
Paper AAI1529288.
https://digitalscholarship.tnstate.edu/dissertations/AAI1529288