Exploring Japanese public attitudes toward sexual offenders: a cultural examination using the ATS-21

This study provides one of the first examinations of Japanese public attitudes toward individuals with sexual offense histories using the Attitudes to Sexual Offenders Scale-21 (ATS-21). Although originally developed in Western contexts, its applicability in Japan has not been tested. A web-based survey of 431 Japanese adults was conducted, and psychometric analyses were performed to explore the cultural suitability of the instrument. The confirmatory factor analysis did not support the original three-factor model, prompting an exploratory factor analysis that yielded a revised 13-item structure consisting of three factors: Distrust, Evil, and Like Us. These factors partly overlapped with the affective and cognitive components of attitudes but diverged from the behavioral dimension proposed in the original ATS-21 framework. Several items were removed due to cultural mismatch, limited familiarity with concepts such as parole, and difficulties imagining interpersonal proximity to sexual offenders. The findings highlight distinctive cultural patterns in how Japanese respondents integrate emotional and cognitive judgments, suggesting that cultural norms surrounding social harmony and limited public exposure to offender treatment influence item interpretation. This preliminary study underscores the need for culturally grounded instrument refinement and provides an empirical basis for future research and policy development in Japan.