The wellbeing of reportable child sex offenders in Western Australia: A comparative study

Date of Award

2023

Document Type

Thesis - ECU Access Only

Publisher

Edith Cowan University

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

School

School of Medical and Health Sciences

First Supervisor

Mike Monisse-Redman

Second Supervisor

Shelley Beatty

Third Supervisor

Gary Hulse

Fourth Supervisor

Kathy Boxall

Abstract

The Community Protection Offender Reporting (Act 2004) is legislation that requires Police in Western Australia (WA) to operate a sex offender register under which convicted child sexual offenders are registered and monitored. This thesis examined the wellbeing of reportable offenders in WA, both as a consequence of reporting and compared to the non-reporting population in WA as described by the Western Australian Health Department in 2015. The study used data from 31 police and 29 reportable offenders. It found that the physical, mental and social wellbeing of reportable offenders is relatively poor and that the reporting process tends to operate in an anti-therapeutic manner. Reportable offenders were found to present with mental health morbidities at over twice the rate of the Western Australian population, they are physically unwell, are at risk of long term health problems through smoking and alcohol, experience greater financial hardship and suffer major life disruptions at twice the rate of the WA population. The study found that reportable offenders new to registration suffer very high levels of anxiety and distress. Police case managers felt that they lacked appropriate training, did not have the resources available for referring reportable offenders who present with increased risk and did not understand the SOPs. They also lack an integrated method for assessing risk.

Access Note

Metadata record only

ECU Access Only

Access to this thesis is restricted. Please see the Access Note below for access details.

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