{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,11,2]],"date-time":"2026-11-02T19:57:23Z","timestamp":1793649443763,"version":"4.5.1"},"reference-count":56,"publisher":"SAGE Publications","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2015,9,14]],"date-time":"2015-09-14T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1442188800000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/page\/policies\/text-and-data-mining-license"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["journals.sagepub.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Sex Abuse"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2017,8]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>We conducted a systematic review of studies reporting on the effectiveness of Circles of Support and Accountability (Circles). Circles use volunteers to provide support for sex offenders living in the community. We searched 10 databases up to the end of 2013 and identified 3 relevant outcome studies. An additional 12 papers or reports were identified by searching reference lists, Google, and contacting key authors and Circles providers to obtain unpublished data. These 15 studies comprised one randomized controlled trial, three retrospective cohorts with matched controls, and 11 case series. The majority reported measures of recidivism, particularly reconviction. The 4 studies with controls generally reported that participation in Circles was associated with lower recidivism although there were few statistically significant differences. Few studies examined changes in risk or psychosocial outcomes. A number of methodological issues are discussed. Longer term, prospective follow-up studies with control groups are required to address these issues.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1177\/1079063215603691","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2015,9,14]],"date-time":"2015-09-14T20:59:50Z","timestamp":1442264390000},"page":"446-478","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/sage-journals-update-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":48,"title":["Circles of Support and Accountability for Sex Offenders: A Systematic Review of Outcomes"],"prefix":"10.1177","volume":"29","author":[{"given":"Martin","family":"Clarke","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, Institute of Mental Health, University of Nottingham Innovation Park, Nottingham, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Susan","family":"Brown","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Birgit","family":"V\u00f6llm","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, Institute of Mental Health, University of Nottingham Innovation Park, Nottingham, UK"},{"name":"University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"179","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2015,9,14]]},"reference":[{"key":"bibr1-1079063215603691","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/13552600.2010.544415"},{"key":"bibr2-1079063215603691","first-page":"19","volume":"5","author":"Bates A.","year":"2007","journal-title":"British Journal of Community Justice"},{"key":"bibr3-1079063215603691","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"8","DOI":"10.53841\/bpsfu.2012.1.108.8","volume":"108","author":"Bates A.","year":"2012","journal-title":"Forensic Update"},{"key":"bibr4-1079063215603691","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/0306624X13485362"},{"key":"bibr5-1079063215603691","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1037\/0022-3514.88.4.589"},{"key":"bibr6-1079063215603691","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1468-2311.2007.00452.x"},{"key":"bibr7-1079063215603691","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1348\/135532504322776816"},{"key":"bibr8-1079063215603691","volume-title":"Systematic reviews: CRD\u2019s guidance for undertaking reviews in health care","author":"Centre for Reviews and Dissemination","year":"2008"},{"key":"bibr9-1079063215603691","volume-title":"Ten Year Report April 2002\u2013March 2012","author":"Circles South East","year":"2012"},{"key":"bibr10-1079063215603691","unstructured":"Clarke M., Warwick L., V\u00f6llm B. (n.d.). Circles of Support and Accountability: The characteristics of core members in the UK. Manuscript under review."},{"key":"bibr11-1079063215603691","volume-title":"Second aggregate report on offender management in prisons: Findings from a series of joint inspections by HM inspectorate of probation and HM inspectorate of prisons","author":"Criminal Justice Joint Inspection","year":"2012"},{"key":"bibr12-1079063215603691","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/14651858.CD007507.pub2"},{"key":"bibr13-1079063215603691","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1079063212453942"},{"key":"bibr14-1079063215603691","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/13552600.2014.901430"},{"key":"bibr15-1079063215603691","volume-title":"Paper presented at Circles UK Trustees Meeting","author":"Earnshaw K.","year":"2014"},{"key":"bibr16-1079063215603691","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/0306624X01451006"},{"key":"bibr17-1079063215603691","unstructured":"Elliott I. A. (2014, June 6). CoSA: An inconvenient truth [Weblog post]. Retrieved from https:\/\/nextgenforensic.wordpress.com\/2014\/06\/06\/cosa-an-inconvenient-truth\/"},{"key":"bibr18-1079063215603691","volume-title":"A cost-benefit analysis of Circles of Support and Accountability","author":"Elliott I. A.","year":"2011"},{"key":"bibr19-1079063215603691","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1079063212443385"},{"key":"bibr20-1079063215603691","unstructured":"Elliott I. A., Zajac G., Meyer C. A. (2013). Evaluability assessments of the Circles of Support and Accountability (COSA) model: Cross site report. Retrieved from https:\/\/www.ncjrs.gov\/pdffiles1\/nij\/grants\/243832.pdf"},{"key":"bibr21-1079063215603691","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1348\/135532503322362979"},{"key":"bibr22-1079063215603691","unstructured":"Fox K. J. (2013). Circles of Support & Accountability: Final report prepared for the State of Vermont department of corrections. 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