Parental access to 'Sexual Conviction Record Check' sex offender registry in Hong Kong

Background: Sex offender registry systems aim to prevent child sexual abuse (CSA) by restricting the interaction between convicted offenders and children. Although Hong Kong enacted the Sexual Conviction Record Check (SCRC) policy in 2011, debates regarding legal access to the sex offender registry remain unresolved. Objective: This study examines parental beliefs, attitudes, and knowledge of the SCRC policy. It explores if parents' motivation to learn more about SCRC can mediate the relationships between parental support for the SCRC and policy advocacy actions. Method: In Hong Kong, a social service agency employed a digital randomization method to invite 507 consented parents of elementary schoolers to participate in a phone survey. Human Subjects Protection Board approved using the survey data to analyze the variables related to SCRC and policy advocacy. Results: The results demonstrate that parents' beliefs in CSA prevention, attitudes toward home-based sex education, and SCRC knowledge are associated with parental advocacy for SCRC access. Furthermore, parental motivation mediates the relationships between advocacy efforts and (1) beliefs in CSA prevention, (2) homebased sex education, and (3) support of SCRC. Conclusion: This study highlights the importance of establishing a community-professional-government partnership platform to mobilize parents and promote public awareness regarding SCRC access regulations.

Automated summary

This study examines parental beliefs, attitudes, and knowledge of the Sexual Conviction Record Check (SCRC) policy in Hong Kong. The results show that these factors are associated with parental advocacy for accessing SCRC information. Furthermore, parental motivation mediates the relationships between advocacy efforts and beliefs in child sexual abuse prevention, home-based sex education, and support of SCRC. The study highlights the importance of establishing a community-professional-government partnership platform to mobilize parents and raise public awareness regarding SCRC access regulations.