"I live a half-life now": negotiating the label of 'sex offender' on release from prison

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Hill, E., 2021. "I live a half-life now": negotiating the label of 'sex offender' on release from prison. DPsych, Nottingham Trent University.

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Abstract

The balance between supporting those who have committed offences to reintegrate into the community and public protection can be difficult. In the case of those who have committed sexual offences, restrictions can increase stigma for this population and may be disproportionate or even counter-productive to their impact on desistance. A systematic review of literature was conducted on what men with convictions for sexual offences see as the role of stigma in desistance from sexual offending. While literature specific to this question was limited, the review found that experiences of being on a register were largely negative and not seen as useful, while work, agency, treatment and support had been beneficial. Suggestions were made for application of these themes to practice. The thesis research studies added to the literature on the experiences of men on the 'sex offender' register once they have served prison sentences. Nine men were interviewed, and the subsequent IPA analysis identified the most salient theme as 'negotiating identity as a 'sex offender', along with themes of the register and restrictions having a negative impact, and the experience of living with stigma and restrictions. Repertory grids were also completed with the nine participants, which provided further detail as to how they negotiated their identity, particularly how they saw themselves now compared to in the past and future, and in relation to those around them. This thesis has added to the knowledge about experiences of men on the 'sex offender' register and how they manage the stigma associated with this. Recommendations have been made as to how this knowledge can be incorporated into practice, with the aim of improving the resettlement experience of men in this situation, which can in turn support their desistance from offending.

Item Type:	Thesis
Creators:	Hill, E.
Date:	June 2021
Rights:	The copyright in this work is held by the author. You may copy up to 5% of this work for private study, or personal, non-commercial research. Any re-use of the information contained within this document should be fully referenced, quoting the author, title, university, degree level and pagination. Queries or requests for any other use, or if a more substantial copy is required, should be directed to the author.
Divisions:	Schools > School of Social Sciences
Record created by:	Linda Sullivan
Date Added:	14 Feb 2023 12:50
Last Modified:	14 Feb 2023 12:50
URI:	https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/48287