College students’ attitudes towards individuals convicted of a sexual offense

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ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to assess the influence of political ideology/orientation, personal experiences with sexual assault, and news source choice on college students’ attitudes towards individuals convicted of sexual offense (ICSOs). Research demonstrates public attitudes influence the actions of decision makers, thus increasing the importance that we understand public perception. In the present study, 121 college students completed a survey which included selected items from two attitude scales (CATSO & ATS-21) and multiple open-ended questions developed by the investigators. The study results did not support the hypotheses proposed in this study with respect to the influence of the attitudes of college students towards ICSOs. Findings were consistent with the results of prior research investigating factors that have influenced public attitudes. Suggestions are made for future research studying public attitudes and evidence-based decision making related to criminal justice policies and programs.