“Don’t think about a pink elephant”: collaboratively exploring the notion of desistance using the CoNavigator participatory tool

Purpose Desistance, the process by which someone convicted of an offence ceases criminal behaviour, is traditionally viewed through theories focused on life events, identity and external factors. The lived experiences of those involved, particularly the “targets” of desistance initiatives, are often overlooked. This study aimed to gain a panoptic understanding of desistance in forensic contexts by including insights from individuals with lived experience of desistance from sexual offending, together with those of professionals involved in rehabilitation and researchers in the field. Design/methodology/approach A facilitated CoNavigator session was conducted with nine participants. The sample included forensic research psychologists, a practitioner psychologist, a criminologist and members with lived experience of a sexual conviction. Data comprised 120 CoNavigator tiles and flags, desistance landscape maps and a 90-min discussion recording; data were examined using collaborative data analysis. Findings Three main themes were identified: (1) the term “desistance” lacks a clear definition and is often misused or misunderstood; (2) meaningful changes in conceptualising or implementing desistance require broader societal education; and (3) successful desistance is associated with personal change and support. Originality/value CoNavigator is a novel collaborative research tool. Research including people with lived experience of a sexual conviction has led to new insights into the concept of desistance. It is suggested that the term “desistance” may inadvertently reinforce a negative identity. This becomes particularly concerning in crimes where recidivism rates are low, such as sexual offending.