NCJ Number
109838
Journal
American Psychologist Volume: 42 Issue: 10 Dated: (October 1987) Pages: 946-953
Date Published
1987
Length
8 pages
Annotation
Three researchers on the attitudinal and behavioral impact of pornography critique the findings and recommendations of the 1986 report of the Attorney General's Commission on Pornography.
Abstract
The Attorney General's Commission on Pornography has concluded there is a causal relationship between exposure to many forms of pornography and several antisocial effects, including increased levels of violence against women. Based on these findings, the commission has called for more strict enforcement of existing obscenity laws and serious consideration of additional legal measures not traditionally handled under obscenity law. The authors question whether the social science data used by the commission justify either the commission's conclusions about harm or the call for more stringent law enforcement. Although some of the commission's findings are apparently sound extrapolations from the empirical studies, several of the commission's findings and recommendations are incongruent with available research data. Concern about the detrimental effects of violent images should not be limited to explicit sexual contexts but should focus on all material that portrays the myth that women enjoy or in some way benefit from rape, torture, and other forms of sexual violence. It is inappropriate, based on the empirical research, to single out pornography for more stringent legal action. The authors recommend educational programs rather than restrictive legislation to mitigate the effects of sexual violence in the media. 36 references. (Publisher abstract modified)