Sex offender notification: An exploratory assessment of state variation in notification processes

Prior research suggested that when community members are notified that a sex offender is residing in their neighborhood they are likely to engage in precautionary behavior to prevent potential victimization. Since states employ different processes in notifying community members of the presence of a sex offender, it is important to examine the advantages and disadvantages of the various notification processes. The current exploratory study compared the proactive sex offender notification process in Hamilton County, Ohio, with the passive notification process in Jefferson County, Kentucky. Not surprisingly, study findings indicated that the proactive sex offender notification process used in Ohio resulted in better community dissemination of information.