NCJ Number
106701
Journal
Sexual Coercion and Assault Volume: 1 Issue: 5 Dated: (September/October 1986) Pages: 151-159
Date Published
1986
Length
9 pages
Annotation
The Report of the Meese Commission on Pornography is a case example of ideological bias taking precedence over scientific evidence.
Abstract
Moral corruptionists, procensorship feminists, the FBI, and antiviolence media researchers formed a strange alliance that formented a need for a Commission to examine the 'new evidence' of a causal linkage between pornography and sexual violence. By misusing selected and scant scientific evidence and by introducing the curious concept of 'totality of the evidence,' claims were made of a causal connection between pornography and sexual violence. Mosher introduces his written testimony to the Commission to demonstrate that the Meese Commission was warned that such ideological bias was likely, about their unscientific methods for examining scientific evidence, and that the available scientific evidence did not support such a causal linkage. The danger to freedom of scientific inquiry in mistakingly assuming such a causal connection was pointed out. 28 references. (Author abstract modified)