Date of Conferral

1-29-2026

Date of Award

January 2026

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Psychology

Advisor

Dr. Julie Lindahl

Abstract

In society, sex offenders are subject to unforeseen consequences of the sex offender registry. The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate how the sex offender registry contributes to the mental distress of registered sex offenders and their concerns about recidivism. This study addressed a gap in understanding the sex offender registry experiences from the offender’s perspective. The research question addressed how adult male registrants describe their experiences of mental distress associated with registration and how they perceive registration as shaping their risk of reoffending. The theoretical framework was John Braithwaite’s reintegrative shaming theory, with a specific focus on disintegrative shaming, which refers to society labeling a person based on previous behavior. For recruitment, 513 postcards were sent to registered male sex offenders in Ohio. The study used a semi-structured interview with a homogenous sample of adult male registered sex offenders who had only adult victims and who had been on the registry for at least 6 months. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to analyze the participants’ interviews. This led to four themes: hardships, mental distress, social treatment, and support system. The findings suggest unintended collateral consequences, isolation, and psychological harm that undermine reintegration. Policy responses may be more effective if they differentiate risk, reduce blanket restrictions, and invest in community support. If parole/probation officers are better informed about the hardships that offenders face, even those indirectly caused by their efforts to ensure public safety, this could lead to changes in their current policies and procedures, as well as how they manage specific requirements.

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