Skip to main content

What’s Next?

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Desistance from Sexual Offending

Part of the book series: Palgrave Studies in Risk, Crime and Society ((PSRCS))

  • 283 Accesses

Abstract

The final chapter situates the results of this work within the broader context of theory development, future research design, public policy, and clinical practice. Specifically, this includes a series of recommendations such as accepting desistance as a modal and natural outcome; changing our therapeutic emphasis from sexual deviance to general life skills and pursuing good lives; honoring the passage of time by considering conviction expiry dates and reducing risk scores over time; generating a tiered system that recognizes heterogeneity of people and behaviors; repealing the publicly available sex offender registry; and educating the public and the press on the empirical realities of sexual abuse. This final chapter summarizes the book’s findings and concludes with suggested directions for future work of this kind.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 79.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 99.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 139.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Ackerman, A. R., Harris, A. J., Levenson, J. S., & Zgoba, K. (2011). Who are the people in your neighborhood? A descriptive analysis of individuals on public sex offender registries. International Journal of Psychiatry and Law, 34, 149–159.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hanson, R. K., Harris, A. J., Helmus, L., & Thornton, D. (2014). High-risk sex offenders may not be high risk forever. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 29(15), 2792–2813. doi:10.1177/0886260514526062

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Healy, D. (2010). The dynamics of desistance: Charting pathways through change. Portland, OR: Willan Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Levenson, J. S., Ackerman, A. R., Socia, K. M., & Harris, A. J. (2015). Where for art thou? Transient sex offenders and residence restrictions. Criminal Justice Policy Review, 26(4), 319–344.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maruna, S. (2016). Self-narratives of desisting sex offenders: Where are the redemption scripts? American Society of Criminology annual meeting, New Orleans, November, 2016.

    Google Scholar 

  • Soothill, K., & Francis, B. (2009). When do ex-offenders become like non-offenders? The Howard Journal, 48, 373–387.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Terry, K., & Ackerman, A. R. (2015). A brief history of sex offender registration. In R. G. Wright (Ed.), Sex offender laws: Failed policies new directions. New York, NY: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2017 The Author(s)

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Harris, D.A. (2017). What’s Next?. In: Desistance from Sexual Offending. Palgrave Studies in Risk, Crime and Society. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-63200-1_9

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-63200-1_9

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-63199-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-63200-1

  • eBook Packages: Law and CriminologyLaw and Criminology (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics