Hidden in Plain Sight: Visibility, Institutional Systems, and the Study of Repeat Sexual Offending

Research on repeat offending has developed through largely separate methodological traditions, including self-report surveys, criminal legal system studies, and forensic DNA linkage research. These approaches often identify different rates and patterns of offending because they rely on different populations, data sources, and mechanisms of detection. I argue that situational contexts shape opportunities for repeat offending, while institutional systems shape whether those patterns become visible, recognized, and interrupted. Building on these observations, I propose a more integrated research agenda that examines how hiddenness, visibility, and institutional processes shape what is known about repeat sexual offending and where future perpetration research should look next.