TY - JOUR
T1 - Restoring identity
T2 - The use of religion as a mechanism to transition between an identity of sexual offending to a non-offending identity
AU - Kewley, Stephanie
AU - Larkin, Michael
AU - Harkins, Leigh
AU - Beech, Anthony R.
PY - 2017/2/1
Y1 - 2017/2/1
N2 - This study examines the unique experience of participants who during their reintegration back into the community, following a conviction for sexual offending, re-engaged with religious and spiritual communities. To explore meaning Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was adopted. Four in-depth interviews of men convicted for sexual crimes were undertaken and analysed. Findings indicate that through religious affiliation participants were: exposed to new prosocial networks; provided opportunities to seek forgiveness; felt a sense of belonging and affiliation; and were psychologically comforted. However, the study also found that the process of identity transition from ‘offender’ to ‘non-offender’ was not seamless or straightforward for those with an innate sexual deviancy towards children, caution is therefore advised.
AB - This study examines the unique experience of participants who during their reintegration back into the community, following a conviction for sexual offending, re-engaged with religious and spiritual communities. To explore meaning Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was adopted. Four in-depth interviews of men convicted for sexual crimes were undertaken and analysed. Findings indicate that through religious affiliation participants were: exposed to new prosocial networks; provided opportunities to seek forgiveness; felt a sense of belonging and affiliation; and were psychologically comforted. However, the study also found that the process of identity transition from ‘offender’ to ‘non-offender’ was not seamless or straightforward for those with an innate sexual deviancy towards children, caution is therefore advised.
KW - Community reintegration
KW - desistance
KW - sexual offender
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85011568208&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1748895816654530
U2 - 10.1177/1748895816654530
DO - 10.1177/1748895816654530
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85011568208
SN - 1748-8958
VL - 17
SP - 79
EP - 96
JO - Criminology and Criminal Justice
JF - Criminology and Criminal Justice
IS - 1
ER -