Colorado Considers Dropping the Term ‘Sex Offender’ Because of ‘Negative Effects’

Seminar of "inappropriate sexual fantasy for sexual offenders"
by Bryan Babb

 

Colorado officials are set to vote Friday on whether to drop the term “sex offender” to describe people who engaged in “sexually abusive behavior,” due to “negative effects,” the Denver Post reported.

“I think the biggest thing is research really shows us that assigning a label has the potential for negative effects in rehabilitation,” said Kimberly Kline, chair of the Sex Offender Management Board (SOMB), according to the Denver Post. The board is considering a number of other possible terms for offending individuals, including adults “who commit sexual offenses” and “who engage in sexually abusive behavior.”

“The term ‘sex offender’ will continue to be used in Colorado statute and  the criminal justice system, including courts, law enforcement and the Colorado Sex Offender Registry,” a SOMB spokesperson told the Daily Caller News Foundation. “The change being considered is limited in scope and applies only to the language used in the standards and guidelines for treatment providers who assess, evaluate and treat people convicted of sexual offenses.”

The vote to drop the term follows a series of sexual assault cases across the country, including a case at Loudoun County Public Schools in Virginia. Meanwhile, in New York, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo resigned in August following allegations of sexual misconduct.

There has been pushback against the move to drop the label, according to KKTVColorado Springs District Attorney Michael Allen opposes getting rid of the term “sex offender,” noting in a Thursday press conference that it “recognizes the gravity of deviant sexual behavior committed against another person. This proposed change diminishes the harm done to victims of sex offenders.”

The SOMB is planning to open a meeting to the public on Friday prior to the vote, where the change will be discussed, according to KKTV. Allen stated that he plans on attending the meeting to testify against the proposed change.

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Bryan Babb is a reporter at Daily Caller News Foundation.
Photo “SOMB seminar” by Sex Offender Management Board (SOMB).

 

 

 

 

 


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5 Thoughts to “Colorado Considers Dropping the Term ‘Sex Offender’ Because of ‘Negative Effects’”

  1. Fireguy

    I have a friend, who in part of his police officer career, worked in the sex crimes unit.. One thing he learned from the veterans in the unit-once the person offended under a sex crime they had one of the highest re-offender rates of any crime. They could serve time in prison or be placed in all types of offender psychological programs and the offenders still had high re-offender rates. That is one reason they have sex crime offender lists and they are constantly being watched by these law enforcement units. The effort to relabel a “sex offender” is ignorant in any form.

    1. 83ragtop50

      One of my grandchildren was a victim of a sex predator. My research showed that the repeat rate at that time was 95% regardless of what “help” the offender received.

      Frankly the term “sex offender” is generous of a term in my thinking.

  2. Wolf Woman

    And what Dr. Ken said.

  3. Wolf Woman

    Ms Kline argues that sex offenders are so offended by being called sex offenders that they won’t won’t try to change from being sex offenders to being adults with good morals and conduct who are aware of sexual boundaries. Her argument is leftist hogwash.

  4. Dr Ken

    This is absolute foolishness and aligns with “putting lipstick on a pig”, it is still a pig. To think changing the title of sex offender to “sexually abusive behavior” will lessen social stigma is absurd. What will actually happen is the stigma of todays’ sex offender will simply transfer to the new title. As a consequence, any degree of offending will be lumped in with every related offense including the more serious sexual offenses. Similarly, as included in the article, what will happen is the nomenclature considered will be at odds with what is used in other involved entities such as the court.

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