ABSTRACT

Stigma directed towards persons with convictions for sexual offences and its potentially risk enhancing effects has prompted a growing body of research on public attitudes towards individuals who have sexually offended, including attitude measurement. However, many questions in attitudinal scales use the “sex offender” label, which potentially perpetuates stigma. The current study, which was part of a larger study examining effects of offence-based labels, sought to examine whether responses on an attitudinal scale would differ when person-first language was used instead of the “sex offender” label. Participants (N = 372) were randomly assigned to a label condition or person-first language condition and completed an anonymous online survey that included a popular attitudinal scale. A small, significant effect of labelling was observed: offence-based labels were associated with more negative attitudes than neutral descriptors. Implications for future research are discussed.

PRACTICE IMPACT STATEMENT

The current study found that the “sex offender” label was associated with more negative attitudes toward individuals who have sexually offended compared to neutral, person-first language (e.g. “people who have committed crimes of a sexual nature”). Replacing stigmatising labels with person-first language in research and in practice is an important step towards humanising people who have offended and supporting them to live safe, productive, prosocial lives. In research, using person-first language may help improve validity of attitude measurement and remove the possibility of inadvertently reinforcing the very stereotypes researchers seek to address.

中文翻译：

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流行的态度量表是否会延续对性侵犯者的负面态度？

摘要

针对因性犯罪而被定罪的人的污名及其潜在的风险增强效应促使人们对公众对性犯罪者的态度进行越来越多的研究，包括态度测量。然而，态度尺度上的许多问题都使用“性犯罪者”标签，这可能会使污名永久化。目前的研究是一项检查基于犯罪标签的影响的大型研究的一部分，旨在检查当使用以人为本的语言而不是“性犯罪者”标签时，态度尺度上的反应是否会有所不同。参与者（N = 372）被随机分配到标签条件或人为第一语言条件，并完成了一项匿名在线调查，其中包括流行的态度量表。观察到标签的一个小而显着的影响：与中性描述符相比，基于犯罪的标签与更多的负面态度相关。讨论了对未来研究的影响。

实践影响声明

目前的研究发现，与中立的、以人为本的语言（例如，“犯下性犯罪的人”）相比，“性犯罪者”标签与对性侵犯者的负面态度有关。在研究和实践中，用以人为本的语言取代污名化标签是使冒犯者人性化并支持他们过上安全、富有成效和亲社会生活的重要一步。在研究中，使用以人为本的语言可能有助于提高态度测量的有效性，并消除无意中强化研究人员试图解决的刻板印象的可能性。