Pornography and Rape

1. Pornography and Rape Fact or Fiction

2. What is pornography? • means through which sexuality is socially constructed.- Catherine MacKinnon • shows women as objects who are used for sexual purposes, by men as “consumers” • categorized into different types of media such as soft-porn, hard-porn, erotica

3. The Myth: • Pornography leads to rape, causes rape or socializes a person to believe that rape is ok. • The myth states pornographic material causes rape, not to be confused with correlation • Like all myths, there is some truth

4. Word for word radical feminists clergy Some truth psychologists general public feminists Who Believes the Myth

5. Do you believe pornography causes rape? • Yes, I believe so strongly. 735 (27%) • Yes, I believe so somewhat. 479 (18%) • No, I believe it doesn't. 690 (26%) • No, I believe strongly that it doesn't. 647 (24%) • Not sure. 152 (6%) • sexcriminals.com

6. Why is porn bad? • Supports traditional gender roles • encourages men to be dominant and aggressive, and it teaches that women are inferior to men are sometimes worthy of victimization 75% say that porn is bad!

7. Why is porn bad? Cont. • social learning theory might state that sexual violence, aggression, and the power and control themes found in most types of pornography can change (socialize) ones behavior • if involved in sexual imprinting, leads to learned “reality” about sexual relations

8. According to Strasburger, not all pornography is bad. Violence in pornography is what makes it negative “aggression might increase, because there is a known relationship between portrayals of violence and subsequent behavior”. (Strasburger,1995) Are all types of pornography bad?

9. Pornography is good! • Dr. Ruth, a well-know sex therapist admits that some types of pornography are not good for people, but a type a porn, called erotica, can actually be very beneficial for people • In general, I am in favor of people renting erotic films. For the single person...considering the dangers posed by going to a prostitute or having a string of one-night stands, almost makes the availability of these films a public service. And for couples, viewing such films can provide some added spice and maybe even the knowledge of some new positions or techniques....                                  

10. Belief in the statement that “pornography causes rape” takes responsibility off the rapist for his actions Believing in one myth, increases the likelyhood we will believe in the next myth Implications of believing in the myth:

11. Conclusion • Research shows correlation between rape and pornography but there seems to be no causal relationship, unless violence is involved • Although no causal relationship, pornography does support our rape culture leading to and maintaining rape myths.

12. Something to think about!! • “Many people shareStrossen's opinion that men who consume porn but who have never raped a woman disprove the theory that porn can cause rape. This is comparable to arguing that because some cigarette smokers don't die of lung disease, there cannot be a causal relationship betweensmoking and lung cancer.”(Russell,1995)