Circles of Support and Accountability: An Investigation of Volunteer Motivation and Experiences, and the Effect of the “Sex Offender” Label on Community Attitudes Towards Individuals who have Sexually Offended

Abstract

The importance of social support in the rehabilitation and reintegration of individuals convicted for sexual offences is undisputed; however, few community members are accepting of these individuals living in their communities, let alone having regular contact with them. Circles of Support and Accountability (CoSA) is a promising reintegration framework whereby community volunteers support individuals convicted for sexual offences to reintegrate safely into the community (R. J. Wilson & Prinzo, 2002). The current research utilised a mixed method approach to investigate volunteers’ motivation to join CoSA, their experiences of volunteering with CoSA, and the effect of the “sex offender” label on community attitudes and willingness to volunteer with CoSA. Part One of the current research included three studies that utilised in-depth semi-structure interviews. Study One (N = 18) investigated volunteers’ motivation to be involved with CoSA. Three key motivations were identified: (i) Restorative and Justice Based Motivation, (ii) Altruistic Motivation, and (iii) Faith Based Motivation. Study Two (N = 18) explored volunteers’ experiences of CoSA, including general experiences and how some volunteers coped with their core member being recalled or reoffending. Findings illustrated how volunteers balanced risk management with providing social support, questioned the place of religion in CoSA, and confronted stereotypes surrounding individuals who have sexually abused. In the event of a core member being recalled or reoffending, findings revealed both the volunteers’ commitment to CoSA and their core member, and the negative impact on volunteers. Study Three (N = 23) explored volunteers’ experiences of training and support, and their perceptions of what contributed to effective circle functioning. Findings highlighted a mixed response to the training and support received, and that identifying suitable core members and volunteers, clear communication, establishing boundaries between circle members, and the presence of an external circle coordinator contributed to effective circle functioning. Part Two of the current research comprised of one study, Study Four, that examined the effect of the “sex offender” label on attitudes and willingness to volunteer with people who have sexually offended, utilising a general community sample (N = 391). Study Four additionally investigated priming effects of labelling versus neutral language on participants own language use. Participants were randomly assigned to either a label condition or a neutral condition and completed an anonymous online survey. The labelling condition utilised labels (e.g., “sex offender”) while the control condition utilised neutral descriptors (e.g., “people who have committed crimes of a sexual nature”). Findings from this study showed that the use of the “sex offender” label was associated with more negative attitudes as measured by the Community Attitudes toward Sex Offenders scale (Church, Wakeman, Miller, Clements, & Sun, 2008), less willingness to volunteer with people who have sexually offended, and primed the voluntary use of labels. Together, findings from the present research advance our understanding of why some people choose to volunteer with a stigmatised population, and the everyday experiences of CoSA volunteers. Moreover, findings offer important insights into how we can promote attitudes that support safe reintegration practices. Preventing reoffending is a core community concern, therefore it is important to find ways of engaging with communities to promote a safe reintegration, and ultimately, desistance from offending.