Politics & Government

Colorado State Board Drops ‘Sex Offender' Term Calling It A Negative Label

The board voted 10-6 to change the language to "adults who commit sexual offenses."

By Shaun Boyd, CBS Denver:


DENVER (CBS4)– The way sex offenders are labeled is changing in Colorado. The board that sets state standards voted today to change the term “sex offenders” to reflect so-called “person-first” language.

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The Sex Offender Management Board, which is made up of everyone from public defenders to prosecutors, sets standards and guidelines for treatment providers so the new terminology will only be used in that context. It doesn’t change the term sex offender in law or the criminal justice system but some worry it’s a step in that direction.

“I’m involved today after hearing that it would be improper or offensive in some manner for me to refer to the man who raped me, as a sex offender,” a rape survivor said.

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