Stereotypes of Sex Offenders' Romantic Partners Predict Intent to Discriminate. Issue 1 (3rd November 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Plogher, Tyler J.; Stevenson, Margaret C.; McCracken, Evan W.
• Is Part Of: Analyses of social issues and public policy. Volume 16:Issue 1(2016)
• Page Start: 227
• Page End: 260
• Publication Date: 2016-11-03
• Subjects: Social policy -- Psychological aspects -- Periodicals; Social psychology -- Periodicals; 361.6105
• DOI: 10.1111/asap.12126
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1529-7489

Abstract

Abstract : Registered sex offenders' family members perceive themselves to be the direct targets of public scrutiny, ostracism, harassment, and employment discrimination. Study 1 offers a preliminary exploration of the stereotypes of registered sex offenders' romantic partners. Participants' open‐ended responses were coded and subjected to inter‐rater reliability, using a coding scheme that was both exploratory in nature, while also informed by theory and research. Partially supporting our hypotheses, participants primarily perceived sex offenders' romantic partners as fearful, vulnerable, deviant, and mentally ill, but also as good, forgiving people who want to help reform the offender. In Study 2, we developed an attitudes toward sex offenders' partners scale, designed to measure participants' endorsement of stereotypes about offenders' partners. As predicted, endorsement of negative stereotypes about offenders' romantic partners (i.e., that they are deviant and predatory, as well as fearful and vulnerable) predicted greater support for sex offender legislation and less support for hiring offenders' partners across a variety of employment contexts. Moreover, political conservatives were more likely than liberals to discriminate against offenders' partners in job hiring contexts—an effect statistically explained by conservatives' endorsement of negative stereotypes about offenders' partners.