Pornography, Rape, and Sex Crimes in Japan

Problems with Aggregate Data and the Importance of Individual Differences in the Study of Pornography and Sexual Aggression: Comment on Diamond, Jozifkova, and Weiss (2010)

“…Fluctuations in sex crime rates were compared across periods in which various sexually-explicit materials were banned to a time when all pornographic material, including child pornography, was legal and widely available. Results were consistent with many of the earlier population-based studies conducted in many different countries (e.g., Diamond & Uchiyama, 1999;Kutchinsky, 1973Kutchinsky, , 1991, such that the shift toward legalized pornography was associated with either a decrease (or no substantial and lasting increase) in the incidence of child sexual abuse, hands-off sexual offending (e.g., indecent exposure), and rape or attempted rape. In discussing their findings, Diamond et al suggested that pornography is a substitute for sexual aggression, stating that ''our findings support the displacement function of pornography for potential sex offenders.…”

Rejoinder to Kingston and Malamuth (2011)

“…With our data, combined with the knowledge that, in every other country where it had been scientifically studied (Diamond, 2009(Diamond, , 2010Diamond & Uchiyama, 1999;Home Office, 1979;Kutchinsky, 1991;Landripet, Stulhofer, and Diamond, 2006;McKay & Dolff, 1985;Ng, 1994), an increase in the societies' availability of pornography was correlated with a decrease in sex crimes, we did hypothesize that SEM provided a displacement. And the displacement activity that we hypothesized was masturbation.…”

The school shooting/violent video game link: causal relationship or moral panic?

“…It is worth noting that school shootings, such as that committed by Charles Whitman at the University of Texas in 1966, occurred long before the wide availability of video games. However, these results are not without precedent in other areas involving the intersection of media and violent crimes, as increased availability to pornography has been found to be associated with decreased sexual assault rates (Diamond & Uchiyama, 1999). Sex offenders have been found to have used less pornography, and been exposed to pornography later in life than non-offenders (Becker & Stein, 1991;Goldstein & Kant, 1973;Kendall, 2006;Nutter & Kearns, 1993;Walker, 1970).…”