Toward redemption: Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander men’s narratives of desistance from sexual offending

Richards, Kelly; Death, Jodi; McCartan, Kieran

Abstract

The literature on desistance from crime shows that desisters often engage in a process of rebiographing, crafting life stories–or “redemption scripts”–that make sense of their move away from crime. However, this literature has largely excluded nonwhite offenders and sexual offenders. The current study addresses these gaps by examining the desistance narratives of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander men convicted of sexual offending. Drawing on interviews with these men, it identifies ways in which cultural identity can foster desistant identities among sexual offenders.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Apr 7, 2020
• Online Publication Date: May 12, 2020
• Publication Date: May 12, 2020
• Deposit Date: Apr 20, 2020
• Publicly Available Date: Nov 13, 2021
• Journal: Victims & Offenders
• Print ISSN: 1556-4886
• Electronic ISSN: 1556-4991
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis (Routledge)
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 15
• Issue: 6
• Pages: 810-833
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/15564886.2020.1754311
• Keywords: Desistance; Sexual offending; Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander offenders; Redemption scripts
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/5876240
• Publisher URL: https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/uvao20