The Impacts of a Conviction for a Sexual Offence

It's widely accepted that people who are convicted of a sexual offence face a higher level of stigma than those convicted of other offences.

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The broad range of sexual offences can mean that unfounded assumptions are made about an individual's circumstances and broad generalisations and sensationalism (particularly in the media) can lead to heightened community backlash.

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Having a conviction for a sexual offence can therefore impact your life and the lives of your family members / spouse / partner in ways that may differ from other offences. It is important to understand the different elements of your life that may be affected so that you can understand what action you need to take in terms of disclosing your offence and what support you are able to access. 

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It is also important to know that it is possible to move forward and to rebuild your life, and that having stable employment, accommodation, healthcare and social support will all be of benefit in creating a positive future and reducing the likelihood of reoffending.

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Unlock* have an excellent page on the impact of a conviction for a sexual offence, which looks at everything from investigation for an offence to living with the conviction. Some key points are summarised below.

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MAPPA and SOPU

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You will be placed under the Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) and 'managed' in the community by police officers from the Sex Offender Policing Unit (SOPU).

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We have more information, about what to expect and your rights, on our MAPPA and SOPU pages.

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‍Employment 

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Your employment may be impacted in various ways:

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• Having to disclose your conviction to a current employer or to a new employer
• Media coverage affecting your employment chances
• Being unable to work in certain jobs that involve children or vulnerable adults

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Family

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Your family may be affected in a variety of ways:

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• They may struggle to make sense of what has happened.
• Family ties may be broken.
• Your family may face discrimination due to media coverage and community backlash.
• If you have children, or if your partner or spouse is pregnant, you may have to deal with Children and Families Social Work involvement.
• People living in the same household as you may also have their employment affected by your conviction, for example if they are working as a childminder or a tutor in your home, it is unlikely they would be able to continue to do so.

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There is support available specifically for family members of those under investigation for or conviction of a sexual offence. The following groups all provide support for family members:

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• Lucy Faithfull Foundation Scotland
• StopSo Scotland
• The World According to the Knock
• Rainbow Room
• Talking Forward

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Mental Health

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Having a conviction for a sexual offence can impact many areas of life and can therefore have an impact on your mental health. Factors negatively affecting your mental health can include:

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• Unemployment
• Isolation
• Shame
• Financial struggles
• Family estrangement
• Ongoing professional agency involvement
• Registration requirements

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Reputation

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Having your conviction reported in the media can create long-lasting reputational damage. Other factors affecting your reputation can be:

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• Community response
• Family response
• Friends’ response
• The Google effect

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You may find our page on Online Reputation Management helpful.

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Housing

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Your housing situation may be affected by your conviction.

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If you are renting, your landlord may be entitled to information relating to your conviction.

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You may not be able to return to your family home due to Children and Families Social Work, Criminal Justice Social Work or police restrictions.

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There may be restrictions on where you are allowed to live. This should be guided by any conditions that have been set for you, and you have a right to expect transparency from professionals regarding any restrictions that have been put in place, to help you to understand why.

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You might decide to move away from where you are living and make a fresh start, in which case you should be supported to do so by all agencies.

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Insurance

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Various types of insurance might be impacted by having a conviction for a sexual offence. It is worth checking whether you need to disclose to your insurer regarding:

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• House insurance
• Car insurance
• Life insurance
• Travel insurance

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Travel

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Travelling overseas can involve jumping through a complex set of hoops, all dependent on your personal circumstances.

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For example:

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• If you are on licence, it is likely you will need to get permission to travel outside the UK. Permission will be given only in exceptional circumstances.
• If you are on the Sex Offenders Register (SOR) you will need to notify the police of your intention to leave the UK. The police may ‘flag’ your passport with an Interpol Green Notice alerting overseas immigration of your SOR status.

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More information can be found on our Travel page.

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Telling People

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Telling people about a conviction for a sexual offence can be particularly challenging. You can find further information on our Telling People page.

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