Colorado is dropping references to “sex offenders” from its vocabulary due to the title’s negative connotations.

The Colorado Sex Offender Management Board voted Friday to no longer recognize the term “sex offender” in its proposals. The board, which handles the development and evaluation of rules for rehabilitating and monitoring those labeled sex offenders, voted 10-6 to remove the term from its material, instead referring to sex offenders as “adults who commit sexual offenses.”

This linguistic shift is based on the notion of “person-first” terminology, which theoretically is designed to center terminology on people instead of descriptors.

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Proponents of the change did so based on the notion that labeling an individual a sex offender creates a public perception that they are a threat to public safety, regardless of their current state. Proponents also claim the change would help reduce recidivism and minimize the chances of repeat offenses.

However, many do not see the change as a net positive.

The phrase “‘Adults who commit sexual offenses’ fails to convey or represent any sort of victim-centeredness,” says Jessica Dotter, sexual assault resource prosecutor for the Colorado District Attorneys’ Council and an SOMB member before the vote.

Dotter told the Denver Post that victims of sexual abuse “want their offender to be held accountable and to be known as an offender.”

The change would merely be symbolic and would not affect how Colorado enforces its sexual offender policies.

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Despite advocating for this linguistic change, the organization does not intend to change its name.

Person-first terminology has been heavily emphasized by groups like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the context of the ill and the disabled.

Original Location: Colorado officials drop the term ‘sex offender,’ say it’s too negative

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