Reintegrating People Who Have Sexually Abused Into the Community – Webinar
This webinar is for professionals and community members interested in understanding and implementing Circles of Support and Accountability (CoSA) in the context of community reintegration.
The presence of people who pose a risk to the community has, understandably, been a concern to communities across time, place, and culture. What can communities (and the concerned professionals within them) do to best reduce the likelihood of harm? In which directions does the evidence point?
This webinar conversation reviews Circles of Support and Accountability (CoSA) as applied in Australia. It features how this approach to community reintegration can be useful, even in times of crisis, such as in the current pandemic. Next, the presenters discuss the importance of cultural mentoring in Australia, with implications for other areas around the world. Finally, the presenters discuss the attitudes and beliefs of those who have been sexually victimized toward community reintegration.
Who's Presenting
Kieran McCartan
Professor McCartan has been the Criminology Program leader (2010 – 2014), Deputy Director of the Criminal Justice Unit (2010 – 2012) and the Associate Head of Department for Sociology & Criminology (2015 – 2016) At the University of the West of England (UWE). Currently, Kieran is the leader of the Social Science Research Group (2013 – ongoing) and joint coordinator of the Sexual Violence Research Network (2014 – ongoing) at the University of West England.
Professor McCartan is the Chief Blogger for the Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers (ATSA, and is on that organization’s Executive Board of Directors. He has written over 105 academic publications (incl., Journal Articles, Books, Book Chapters, External Research Reports & Professional/Practitioner publications) as well as over 130 blog posts. Further, he has given over 175 presentations (including conference papers & invited keynotes).
Kelly Richards
Dr. Kelly Richards is an Associate Professor in the School of Justice at Queensland University of Technology. Her research centers on sexual violence, restorative justice, and Circles of Support and Accountability (CoSA). In 2010, she received the ACT Government Office for Women Audrey Fagan Churchill Fellowship to explore restorative approaches for reintegrating child sex offenders in Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Additionally, in 2020, Dr. Richards was honored with a Fulbright Senior Scholar Award to advance her studies on victim/survivors of sexual violence and CoSA in the USA.