Who are the people in your neighborhood? The effects of community notification on the community

• DOI: 10.1007/bf02813868
• Publication Date: 2008-01-22T09:01:59Z
• Authors: Mary Southwick; Stephen Rubin
• Keywords: Legal psychology; Fear of Crime

In 1990 Washington became the first state to authorize the use of community notification by local law enforcement agencies as a means of managing released sex offenders in the community. Although community notification is currently being practiced in all fifty states, surprisingly little research has been done on its effectiveness in preventing further crime or other effects it may have on sex offenders, their families, and the community This research examined the possible effects of community notification on community members in terms of increased anxiety and fear based upon their reactions to different versions of a mock notification flyer. The results indicate that the quality of a notification flyer has little effect on anxiety in the general population.