Abstract
Individual religions adopt varied stances in their responses to perpetrators of criminal behaviour, differing in their perspectives on forgiveness, repentance and the degree to which individuals are welcomed into faith following offending behaviour. These responses are particularly relevant when considering serious offences such as sexual, as they represent additional challenges to faith communities related to public protection and safeguarding. Given the notions of religion as being an informal facilitator of desistance processes, possible pathways into faith are important for those who have committed sexual offences. This chapter hears from four men convicted of sexual offences who discuss their experiences with religion and its relationship to their rehabilitation journeys.
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Authored by the Service Users. (2019). The Voice of the Service User: Experiences of Religion and Desistance. In: Winder, B., Blagden, N., Hocken, K., Elliott, H., Lievesley, R., Banyard, P. (eds) Sexual Crime, Religion and Spirituality. Sexual Crime. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-26040-8_7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-26040-8_7
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Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham
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