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How Did Megan's Laws Lead To Innocent Victims Of Sex Offenders?

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How Did Megan's Laws Lead To Innocent Victims Of Sex Offenders?
In light of several tragic events leading to innocent victims of sex offenses, namely that of Megan Kanka, laws mutually known as Megan’s Laws have been established mandating sex offenders to register their locations of residence and employment to alert those in the vicinity to exercise caution. While these laws have been known to generate awareness of sex offenders, they also have been known to cause more harm than good. The laws allow for public roasting of the sex offenders, deterring them from moving on and somewhat enabling them to commit a crime again. Not to mention the costs associated with these laws are quite steep, although it is not possible to put a price on one less victim of a sexual offense. In comparing sexual offenses before and after the enactment of Megan’s Laws, no improvement has been shown, other than faster arrests.

Keywords: sex offense, Megan’s Laws, community registration MEGAN’S LAWS FAULTS 3

Current Event Analysis of Megan’s Law On July 29, 1994, Jesse Timmendequas told Megan Kanka he wanted to show her his puppy (Megan’s Law, 2013). When she …show more content…
Studies conducted on sex offenders has also shown they face “social stigmatization, loss of relationships, employment and house, and both
MEGAN’S LAWS FAULTS 4 verbal and physical assaults” (Zgoba et al., 2008, 5). Furthermore, studies revealed Megan’s Laws may not do anything to prevent future crimes, and even encourage them as sex offenders are less likely to seek help (Zgoba et al., 2008, 6). As far as effectiveness, a study conducted revealed that arrests made for sex offenses has not changed since the enactment of Megan’s Laws (Zgoba et al., 2008, 6). However, arrests for crimes occurred faster following Megan’s Laws (Zgoba et al., 2008, 7). Additionally, just in New Jersey, Megan’s Law cost almost $4 million (Zgoba et al., 2008, 39).
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