Disenfranchised Grief in Sex Offender Significant Others
A new article by Danielle Baily of the University of Texas explores the concept of “disenfranchised grief” in sex offender significant others. As the abstract explains; “the public stigma of the label and the collateral consequences that occur as a result of that label, it is possible that sex offender significant others experience a psychosocial loss”.
You can read the article here:
Interesting read and certainly describes what many of us have experience with our families. Seems like a cruel social experiment doesn’t it!
Too bad none of the justices will bother to read it since it is 28 pages long and not a 1 page article in “Popular Psychology”! I am sure that they read that one while taking a dump which is IMHO is what their opinions usually amount to anyway!
But in all seriousness this study (using actual data and not made up numbers) clearly shows the cruel and unusual punishment that being labelled as a RSO causes for not only the registered citizens but also family!
Agreed Lee, its about time someone noticed the pain and loss of rights the family faces..
Even those who have noticed don’t care. They don’t see it as the registry punishing the family but rather as the registrant punishing the family by his acts so blame him. Sure, had he not done that he would not be on the registry and the family would not suffer but no other crime has constantly changing, ever harsher punishment that never ends like the registry provides. No other crime allows such an unconstitutional regime to target family members by putting their addresses, license plates, etc. on full public display for vigilante violence, or takes away their rights to have internet access, decorate their home, go to the park, enjoy both their parents company and involvement outside of prison, or puts family members in danger from fully armed S.W.A.T. teams routinely showing up at their house just to see if the registrant is home.
Psycho Social is a great definition. The day you become a Registrant, your family, friends and neighbors all throw you out of your life. You become the victim sometimes exceeding the nature and victim of your own crime. You become Society’s distant child of hate. You become lost angered by untruths, disenfranchised and suicidal. In my case,my Mother won’t let me stay in her home.. its What will the neighbors think? For many RSOs the only way out is death by your own hand. Many even return to crime as to have imprisonment a way out of a vigilante Society bent on making your life a slow death. That’s is my Real World definition.
JEV True Confessions
Wow very powerful indeed.
My offense was in 1994, 33 years ago.
They past a law in Michigan if you get any other felony of any kind you will be put on the sex offenders registry
I got a felony for selling and growing marijuana.
I have never had any sex offense other then the one in 1994.
Is there any recourse.
Lloyd 1994 isn’t 33 years ago. Come on now.
John s – Really does that matter? It was 23 years ago is that not long enough for you? It does not change the point at all
Sorry the offence was 33 years ago, It was 1984. ( old age)
In 1994 there was no sex offenders registry. Michigan past a law if anyone gets any other felony nothing to do with a sex crime you will be put on the sex offenders list. I sold some marijuana and got the felony and that’s where I’m at after 33 years. My family looks down on me as well.
This is an amazing article. I would love to be able to tell that person thank you for writing it. It is very hard for spouses or children to deal with the collateral damage from the punishments that were given to the sex offender when the child or spouse never did anything wrong. Can’t go to games, or practices, or dances or whatever….and spouses have to deal with the social stigma. My wife in particular, soon to be ex wife in no small thanks to the sex offender regime, did get much criticism from her friends and other people in her social circle.
It’s completely unfair.
Whatever our son has to go through, we are there for him, and so are his brother, aunts and uncles and cousins. We have a group of friends here that have known us for years and are also supportive. Yes there is grief, sadness, and disappointment but we will persevere.