It is interesting to note not many people have actually answered the questions put forward.
While statistics for crime are on the increase for sexually violent related crimes, most people are blissfully unaware of what goes on in their own neighbourhood. Domestic violence issues are huge and a major contributing factor is not pornography but alcohol. Under current legislation too, police are required to attend all domestic related incidents regardless of whether it is violent or just a verbal argument. This ties up valuable resources and in the majority of cases, females refuse to accept police action because the female does not want their partner to get in trouble with the law. That is another issue.
Now, back on the subject, there is crap on our streets everywhere. It is amazing how much there really is and how little of it comes to the attention of those who reside in those areas. As with everything, if you take the right precautions, you will be reasonably safe. Don't walk around with both earphone speakers in your ears because you won't hear the footsteps of someone coming up behind you, etc. simple things.
I've blurted on long enough and not really covered the issue in depth but I had something to say so I said it.

wassup, the question originally put forward is probably not directly being answered because of a perception that Gibo is playing a game with it.

He thinks the world is going downhill and I think that he wants to use a subjective measure to prove it. A feeling of safety does not necessarily relate to the actual levels of safety.

If he wants to make a case for that issue the points that need to be established are
- Is the level of reported sexual assault committed outside the home at greater levels in the past?
- Are victims of sexual assault more likely to report sexual assault than in the past and if so what role does that play in the levels of reported sexual assault?
- What are the factors which drive sexual assault? Gibo has proposed increased acess to porn as a culprit. I've pointed out that indications are that access to porn may in fact reduce sexual assaults for some groupings (teenage boys). The jury is still out on that. If there is an increase in the levels of sexual assaults it may also be due to other factors such as the growth of the penticostal movement or perhaps because of the lessening numbers of pirates on the high sea's (I'm being tongue in cheek with that).
- Who is committing the sexual assaults on strangers? The Brisbane bikeway assaults appear to have been committed by a very small number of people (perhaps one) but accounted for a high number of incidents and a large public awareness of the issue. A small number of deranged individuals committing a large number of offences does not constitute a general breakdown in society.
- What severity is involved in the incidents?

I'll leave the DV discussion to another place because as you point out it is another issue.

R0bert

R0bert, you have asked some very interesting questions indeed. Discussions with certain people within certain professions certainly leads one to believe the amount of sexual assault related crime being reported is indeed on the increase. The reason for this seems to be speculation as no actual study has been conducted, that I know of anyway. Possible reasons being discussed include, an increase in the amount of agencies available to guide and counsel victims, an increased level of understanding and a better attitude by law enforcement personnel (although they are by no means experts, psychiatrists, social workers or counselors, their words, not mine). While certain areas may be considered hotspots, being a certain location where there is a higher than average amount of crime(Brogden 2003), it is up to law enforcement personnel to be pro-active in solving the reason why the crime is occurring in that area. This is known as problem orientated policing and could be as simple as increasing the level of lighting in a given location. I am not familiar with the bike track in Brisbane so I am unaware if this is a suitable solution.
A study on the effect of pornography may be benificial but the results would certainly depend on who was funding such a study and how does one police how much pornography people are permitted to be exposed to (no pun intended). There would indeed be many disappointed people on a Saturday night with their high speed internet connection if they were forbidden to look at porn.

wassup, the brisbane bike path attacks were/are a relatively large number of attacks (38+) on women which occured on various bike and walking paths around the northside of Brisbane.

Look for "Operation Echo Shine" to find info on the police investigation.

A list of media reports is at
http://www.mako.org.au/ausnews567.html

My understanding is that they were at the low end of the scale in terms of sexual assault (mostly groping) but must have been terrifying for those attacked and are likely to have lead to longer term issues for many.

One forum type post in regard to this is at http://ninemsn.birth.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=20519 - a popup video comes on as well which looks like advertising.

I've not heard anymore about the attacks for some time so I'm wondering if they have stopped.

This was a situation where women right across Brisbane were feeling less safe on our bike and walking tracks than they previously did resulting from what was probably one individuals efforts rather than a general social downturn.

R0bert

It seems to me that poor old Gibo feels unsafe anywhere outside his imaginary bubble that he's told us about.

He has to stay there because out here in the real world there's all sorts of demons, communists, pornographers, invaders and flying saucers just waiting to get him and all the other 'committed Christians'.

Especially the "girls".

This was supposed to be a girls comment.
Why are you guys here.
And many, if not all, pro-porners.