This study reviewed the public notification policy of sexual offenders against minors in South Korea as compared to community notification programs in the United States. The study then examined the policy’s impact on increasing the general public’s awareness of such sexual crimes. This is based on the assumption that heightening public awareness can be a starting point in combating such crimes. Results of the data, drawn from a sample of 1,409 Koreans across the nation, showed that the notification policy enhanced public awareness. Factors related to this increase in awareness were people’s concern about or familiarity with the policy and people’s experience in identifying the existence of known sexual offenders in their communities. Based on the results of this study, strategies for enhancing public awareness of sexual crimes on minors were formulated. The need to develop treatment programs for sexual offenders was likewise highlighted.
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