The Truth About Halloween and Sex Offenders
Halloween is at the end of this week. There are a lot of assumptions made about Halloween and Sex Offenders. Let’s take a look at the realities.
Therapists who work with sex offenders know this is the time of year probation officers ask us if we have made sure all of our clients have a plan for Halloween and know they are not to participate in the holiday.
Luckily, the area where our practice is located does not ask for more than our clients to avoid participation.
In other parts of the country, things are much different.
Halloween and Sex Offenders in the News
The Patch, a national news source, posted multiple articles providing detailed maps showing the homes of registered sex offenders for many areas.
Indiana
A town in Indiana performed a Halloween crackdown sweep of Sex offenders who failed to register.
Ohio
A news source in Ohio posted an article on how to keep your children safe from sex offenders on Halloween.
Georgia
In Georgia, the Butts County Sheriff’s Office places warning signs in front of the homes of anyone on the sex offender registry for Halloween. Several people on the registry sued the Sheriff’s office and recently lost the lawsuit. The court ruled that this practice did not violate their rights.
In some states, registered offenders still on probation or parole are provided a list of requirements which may include:
- Being home after a certain time
- Not answering the door to children
- Not handing out candy
- Having no outside lights on
- Having a sign on their door stating specifically they’re not giving out candy
As professionals, our time is valuable. Dr. Weeks created the Mitigation Aide Research Archive because there isn’t enough focused, data-backed research available in easily digestible formats.
Halloween and Sex Offenders by the Data
We can all agree that sex crimes against children are profoundly serious and something everyone should work to prevent.
The question arises whether Halloween is a higher risk day than any other day of the year. To answer this question, Chaffin et al. (2009) conducted a study that analyzed child sex crime rates on Halloween.
The authors analyzed child sex crime victims from 1997 to 2005. The data came from up to 30 states.
They looked at a span of days that included Halloween as some locations have trick or treat events before or after the actual date of Halloween.
There was a total of 67,307 abuse reports during the Halloween time frame over the 8-year period.
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Results of the Study
The results of the analysis indicated that for the children who were abused on Halloween, 73% were female and 27% male.
They were abused primarily by male offenders (94%) who had an average age of 24 years old.
The main result of this study was that the distribution of sexual offenses against children during the Halloween time period did NOT significantly differ from all other days of the year.
Halloween and sex offenders are not a recipe for increased chances of abuse.
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Looking Beyond Sexual Offenses
The authors of this study also looked at other crimes committed during the Halloween time period.
The most common types of crime during Halloween are theft, destruction of property and assault.
Vandalism and destruction of property accounted for a significantly greater proportion of the crime around the Halloween time period.
Sex crimes accounted for a little more than 1% of all Halloween crime and sex crimes against children accounted for less than .2% of Halloween crime incidents.
Halloween and Sex Offenders: The Realities
We know that the majority of the sexual offenses committed against children are by someone the child knows. We see the results of this study show no increased risk of criminality. Therefore, we can come to the conclusion that scarce resources could be better spent policing other crimes on Halloween such as vandalism.
Extra policing of sexual offenders on the registry during Halloween might make the public feel better or feel that their children are safer. However, it appears that these efforts are more publicity than efficacy in reality.
Reference: Chaffin, M., Levenson, J., Letourneau, E. & Stern, P. (2009). How safe are trick or treaters? An analysis of child sex crime rates on Halloween. Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment. (21) 3, 363-374.
Do you feel your sexual behavior, or that of someone you love, is out of control? Consult with a professional.
Have you found yourself in legal trouble due to your sexual behavior? Seek assistance before the court mandates it, with Sexual Addiction Treatment Services.
