Jennifer I've posted links previously. If I get a chance I'll dig them out but there is some research from the scandanavian countries and the US which suggests a drop in sexual assault rates with internet takeup.

In the US case the rates of sexual assaults committed by teenage boy's dropped in proportion to the rate of internet takeup across states. There have been similar result's relating to the release of violent film's and corresponding drops in rates of violent crime.

The rates of other crimes did not drop with any correlation to internet access, no pattern of overall reduction in crime rates etc so it wasn't about better policing.

For those who can't see how it could be that access to the internet lowers sexual assault rates. Access to the internet generally means an increased likelyhood of access to porn. That gives a release which might otherwise be that much harder to come by.

I don't think that the case is thoroughly proven but plenty there is food for thought. It does seem to be better proven than claims that access to porn increases the risk to women.

I did have a comment on a point you made earlier. It's true that "Violence against women is perpetrated across all socio economic groups" but my impression is that it is far more prevelant in some socio-economic groups. It can happen in any home but is more likely in conjunction with other factors, alcohol or other substance abuse, poverty etc.

R0bert

Hi R0bert,
re your last paragraph: I agree the stats might indicate a socio economic bias in violence against women, however the factors that might influence this are that middle upper class violence is less reported and less evident, as lower socio economic groups are more readily surveilled by authorities. The more economically privileged demographic is considered less likely to report abuse, and their drinking drug habits are not as publicly accessible. Police are more likely to be involved in domestics disputes in lower socio economic groups. Middle upper class violence more likely to remain secret, and behind closed doors.

Re the research you mention - I find that very interesting, and at first blush, reasonable. Definitely worth pursuing in this country if we're serious about understanding the dynamics of sexual violence and pornography.

'The rates of other crimes did not drop with any correlation to internet access, no pattern of overall reduction in crime rates etc so it wasn't about better policing.'

I think you're really clutching at straws looking at correllations like that. I remember reading Freakonomics and their thesis was that the Police were claiming credit about zero tolerance but that the instances of single mothers had dropped significantly due to different legal treatment of abortion 20 years previously or something like that.

I always explain correllation by stating that Hot Cross Buns cause car accidents. When the sales of Hot Cross Buns rise, so do Car accidents. Think about it;-)

I think Suze's critique is more apt.

'For those who can't see how it could be that access to the internet lowers sexual assault rates. Access to the internet generally means an increased likelyhood of access to porn. That gives a release which might otherwise be that much harder to come by. '

I think pornography is easy enough to come by even without the internet. The feminists will spit and cuss at you r0bert as they're constantly trying to promote that rape has nothing to do with sex and is all about power. They see rape as an ideaological crime where the individual rapists are making a statement on behalf of all men. Similar to the average porn consumer.

See, the end game is really the promotion of the idea that mens sexual desire is innately abusive, predatory and perverted. It's a small jump the feminist wants people to make, from 'viewing porn degrades all women', to 'the very act of desiring or being 'gratified' by naked women is in and of itself abusive'. Therefore since your average hetero male wants to see women naked, your average man is abusive. Or men's sexual desire is abusive.

I can see how rape would be about power when you realise how say MTR, Dines etc look at the world. I get the feeling they are actually affronted that men would even so much as desire a woman without 'permission', let alone achieve 'gratification'.

So, I like to make my own similar jump, all being fair, and state these women's objection to porn is all about power. They don't wish men to be gratified without permission. It's very close to a dom/sub relationship. This is actually a turn on for some men. I've seen web sites where the guy is tied up, begging for permission for release, and he even has to do it himself in the end while being humiliated about how perverted and pathetic he is. I think in my mind that depicts perfectly the dynamics of male/female relationships that would be acceptable to MTR and Dines.

So, rape would be the ultimate betrayal of this control women 'should' have over men's sexual release.

I suppose it's all about a fear of rejection from men deep down.

Men are rightly ridiculed if they are at all threatened by women using vibes or dildos, but it seems that's considered an 'empowering' and 'liberating' thing for a woman to do. But when a man uses visual stimulation, it's a different ball game.

I suppose the hole in all that is that men don't necessarily need porn. But then women don't necessarily need female sex aids, and I am yet to see any denouncement of the use of female sex aids.
It's a simple double standard.

Although correlation doesn't prove causation it indicates there may be a relationship. About 15 years after the Roe vs. Wade decision by the Supreme Court of the US concerning abortion crime rates started to drop. That indicated the possibility that pregnant women aware that they could not raise a child properly got an abortion. Their decision not to give birth may have reduced the crime rate.

Exactly what I said David.

Is there an echo?