NCJ Number
142336
Journal
Journal of Criminal Justice Volume: 21 Issue: 1 Dated: (1993) Pages: 13-28
Date Published
1993
Length
16 pages
Annotation
This study identifies the factors that influence the public's opinions on legalizing pornography in adult bookstores, adult theaters, and video rental stores.
Abstract
In addition to standard demographic variables and religiosity, attitudinal variables concerning the link between pornography and sex crimes and the importance of sexual privacy also were examined. It was anticipated from earlier public opinion polls that the following groups would favor legalization: males, younger people, single people, people with a low religious commitment, and more educated people. It was expected, however, that the two attitudinal variables would intervene between other independent variables and the support of legalization. Data were obtained as part of the Greater Toledo Survey conducted in 1988. A total of 449 adult respondents were interviewed by telephone after being selected by random digit dialing. Basic descriptive statistics, analysis of variance, and multiple regression were used to analyze the data. The survey found that the sample was sharply divided on the legalization issue; people who favored the legalization of pornography tended to be male, young, educated, and less religious; and they tended to doubt a link between pornography and sex crimes and to believe that the law should not intrude into private sexual behaviors; the attitudes regarding sex crimes and privacy intervened between respondents' demographic and religious characteristics and their opinions toward legalization; aside from the influence of the beliefs, respondents' sex consistently demonstrated predictive power. 4 tables and 25 references