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Abstract: 

Our regular survey of the research literature summarizes and reviews three important studies: one illustrating how attendees who went to a community notification meeting believing that the purpose of the meeting was to inform the community about its rights and responsibilities under the law were about 90% more likely to be concerned than neutral after the meeting; research indicating that bystander intervention programs are effective in teaching participants how to be part of the solution to sexual assault by intervening in instances in which sexual assault is occurring or is potentially imminent; and findings that suggest Static-99R norms for routine samples of sex offenders may underestimate risk by about 10% and norms for high risk/needs samples may overestimate risk by 50%. Reviewed are “What You Expect Is Not What You Get: The Antitherapeutic Impact of Sex Offender Community Notification Meetings on Community Members” by Nili Gesser, published in 27(3) Psychology, Public Policy, and Law 432-47 (2021); “Effects of Bystander Sexual Assault Prevention Programs on Promoting Intervention Skills and Combatting the Bystander Effect: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis” by Heather Hensman Kettrey and Robert Marx, published in 17(3) Journal of Experimental Criminology 343-67 (2021); and “Are Civilly Detained and Committed Sexually Violent Persons Released After Age 60 Low Risk?” by Gina Ambroziak, Rachel Kahn, James Mundt, Kerry Keiser, and David Thornton, published in 48(7) Criminal Justice and Behavior 981-98 (2020).

Keywords: Sex Offender Community Notification; Bystander Intervention Programs; Static-99 Reliability

Affiliations:  1: UCLA Integrated Substance Abuse Programs.