Due to the dehumanizing effects that persons forced to register as ‘sex offenders’ face, PARSOL has adopted a person-first language approach, meaning we use the term “Persons forced to register” or “PFR” to describe an individual listed on the Pennsylvania Megan’s Law registry. Similarly, we use terms like “person with a history of crimes of a sexual nature” or “person who is incarcerated for a sex-related offense.” If the term ‘sex offender’ is used as a citation, we place it in single quotes. We also use, wherever possible, clinical terminology such as “child sexual abuse materials” instead of child pornography. In supporting recovery-focused language, we avoid “victim” terminology and use “survivor” language, which aligns with the suggestions of the Trauma-Informed Pennsylvania initiative.
Our Position: Countering Dehumanizing Registries with Terminology & Person First Language
