From Fark mins ago - YNOT "Studies show porn use decreases sexual violence"

[Bill]

From the "something you will never hear a republican say on tv" category...

http://www.ynot.com/content/117092-s...?asid=027620ce

YNOT – The esteemed consumer-focused science magazine Scientific American seems to be on a porn binge lately. In addition to concluding pornography poses threat to the American psyche — and, in fact, may be beneficial for some viewers — the publication also reported pornography use may help diminish the incidence of some violent crime.

Like, for example, rape.

Recent research cited by Scientific American indicated pornography use actually may decrease sexual violence. The conclusion blows a big hole in one of the favorite rallying cries of anti-porn activists: men are so unable to control themselves after viewing pornography that women and children are endangered by smut’s very existence.

“Some experts believe the consumption of pornography may actually reduce the desire to rape by offering a safe, private outlet for deviant sexual desires,” Christopher J. Ferguson, a professor of psychology and criminal justice at Texas A&M International University, told the magazine.

As a matter of fact, he noted, as pornography has become more available via the internet, the volume of violent sexual crimes has decreased.

“Rates of rapes and sexual assault in the U.S. are at their lowest levels since the 1960s,” Ferguson told the magazine.

[ecchi]

I have been saying this since the late 1980's. The reason I decided this was that apart from the softest of soft erotica, porn was illegal in Britain. But when video first came out it was not covered by these laws, so Porn was suddenly available. The quantity of rape and sexual assault cases dropped noticeably. Then in 1984 the British government brought in draconian laws about video, stopping all this porn. The quantity of rape and sexual assault cases started going up again.

And more recently I had cause to look at the UK crime statistics again. In the mid/late 1990's, when the Internet became more popular, and porn again became available to the masses, The quantity of rape and sexual assault cases started to drop again.

Now Scientific American is saying the same thing, perhaps people will listen to me!