Attitudes to sentencing sexual offences
About this study
The Sentencing Council commissioned us to conduct research on
attitudes to sentencing sex offences in 2011. We consulted with
members of the public and victims/survivors on their awareness and
views of sentencing sex offences.
Read the findings
The full report is available here.
Key findings from the report are available here.
An article about the experiences of the victim/survivors we
interviewed is available here.
About the Sentencing Council
The Sentencing Council for England and Wales is the organisation
that sets guidance for judges to use when they make decisions about
how to sentence someone who has gone to court after committing a
crime.
What do we mean by a sexual
offence?
Sex offences cover a wide remit of different offences including:
rape, sexual assault, voyeurism, exposure, preparatory offences
such as sexual grooming, administering a substance with intent to
commit a sexual offence, and other offences such as possession of
indecent photographs of children, trafficking for exploitation or
exploitation through prostitution.
Our methods
The research involved 12 focus groups with the general public
across England and Wales, and interviews with 46 victim/survivors
of sexual offences or their parents/carers.
- ScotCen Social Research
- 73 Lothian Road, Edinburgh, EH3 9AW
- Charity no. SC038454
- info@scotcen.org.uk
