New LBU research to investigate impact of Sexual Harm Prevention Orders on reducing reoffending

Dr Leona Mydlowski and a team of researchers at Leeds Law School and the University of Lancashire will interview officers from five police forces across the UK to understand their experiences and views of SHPOs, and they will analyse a sample of SHPOs and case files to explore whether they have been effective at preventing further sexual harm.

Dr Mydlowski, Reader at Leeds Law School, and project leader, explained: “Sexual Harm Prevention Orders were introduced in 2015 to protect the public from sexual harm by restricting behaviours, for a minimum of five years, for example restricting access to the internet. They are designed to change behaviour and manage future risk, rather than a focus on punishment and more negative obligations introduced under the previous Anti-Social Behaviour Crime and Policing Act.

“The findings of our project will provide an important evidence base as to how SHPOs are implemented in practice, and whether they are effective in achieving their aim of preventing sexual harm. This will impact sex offender management policy and also legislation in the area of violence against women and girls.”

The research has been funded by the Government’s Evaluation Accelerator Fund, and the findings will be presented to the Cabinet and the Home Office by March 2027.

Completing the research team are Professor Rachel Armitage and Dr Katie Dhingra at Leeds Beckett University, and Professor Sarah Kingston at the University of Lancashire.

Dr Leona Mydlowski has been researching sex offender management for the past 10 years, with a focus on police offender management of sexual offenders in the community. She is currently leading on another large-scale project, funded by the UK Home Office, to conduct a national review into the risk assessment currently used within the UK for adult male sex offenders, known as Active Risk Management System (ARMS).

Dr Mydlowski added: “We are reviewing the effectiveness of ARMS to understand if it is the correct approach to risk assess adult male sex offenders. As SHPOs are used as a management tool by police officers, alongside ARMS, to prevent further sexual harm, the findings from our new research project will also feed into future developments of ARMS.”

Professor Rachel Armitage, Director of Research and Knowledge Exchange at Leeds Law School, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Leona Mydlowski to the Law School as our new Reader. Securing a Cabinet Office Evaluation Acceleration Fund award on Sexual Harm Prevention Orders, alongside her Home Office research exploring risk assessment in sex offender management, demonstrates the strength and urgency of her research. Her expertise directly contributes to the national violence against women and girls (VAWG) agenda and supports government efforts to strengthen evidence based safeguarding policy. We are proud to celebrate her achievements and excited about the impact her work will generate.”