Less attention is paid to how offenders reintegrate, exist and cope in the community, especially people convicted of child sex offences, although it is acknowledged that this focus is changing.
This paper will present the findings of a qualitative research project involving semi-structured interviews with seven men living in the community who have convictions for child sex offences. Primarily it focuses on the Approved Premises (AP) and the men’s transitions to community-based housing.
The paper will explore the following themes: Living in the AP and moving on; Violence and threats in the AP – a toxic environment?; and Appreciating what is lost and negotiating life outside of the AP.
The study established that the different stages of transition were often difficult for the men to negotiate. Violence in the AP was, in the main, due to a mix of offender types. Even though men tried to build some form of community bond and social capital, they still kept themselves isolated due to fear of how they would be received by others due to their convictions.
Criminology has conventionally focussed on the onset and punishment of crime.
