Mackenzie Auld1, Dr Nichola Tyler2, Dr Louise Dixon3, Inspector Margaret-Anne Laws4
1Victoria University of Wellington / New Zealand Police, 180 Molesworth Street, Wellington, New Zealand 6011, 2Swinburne University of Technology, 1/582 Heidelberg Rd, Alphington VIC, Australia 3078, 3Glasgow Caledonian University, Cowcaddens Rd, Glasgow G4 0BA, United Kingdom, 4New Zealand Police, 180 Molesworth Street, Wellington, New Zealand 6011
Abstract:
While findings from the first study suggest that the Register is associated with a recidivism-reduction effect, a small proportion of registered persons have gone on to reoffend while subject to the human services approach to community supervision. A process evaluation is needed to identify gaps in the implementation of the Register’s risk management framework. Study two aimed to examine patterns in the temporal order of factors which lead up to incidents of sexual reoffending committed by registered persons. Approximately 50% of all qualifying, or registrable, sexual reoffences against children committed by registered persons were sampled and reviewed. An emerging qualitative method, Thematic Trajectory Analysis (Spencer et al., 2021) was used to identify themes and incorporate temporality into the analysis. Standards of practice, demographic, offence information, and events that occurred over the course of the 12 months leading up to the index offence were deductively coded. Individual, case management, and risk management factors were identified that highlighted gaps in the operationalisation of the Register’s risk management framework and community case management approach.