Australian Article on Porn and the Internet

The following article comes to us from Australia. It opens with the story of the sentencing of a 20-year old man for a horrific rape committed after consuming massive amounts of violent pornography, once again reinforcing the causal connection argued by many feminists between pornography consumption and violence against women. It also discusses the popularity of pornography amongst Australia's youth--and I surmise that the rate here in Canada would not be too far off in either direction--finding that nearly 2 in 5 Australian males ages 16 and 17 consume pornography, accounting 95% of teen pornography use. It then concludes with a look at the mainstreaming of pornography, and how people are allowing porn to filter into their lives, affecting their outlooks and nudging them to perform acts that they would not otherwise know about or want to do. It is an excllent read, one which will hopefully generate a lot of discussion not only in Australia, but in all circles where it is read.

The Internet and the Rise of Porn
Maree Crabbe and David Corlett
January 3, 2008

ON THE Thursday before Christmas, a judge sentenced a Melbourne man convicted of raping a woman to 11 years' jail. The judge, Damian Murphy, said the perpetrator, Andrew Bowen, 20, had used the internet to access hardcore pornography and to learn how to avoid leaving evidence at a rape scene. Judge Murphy said Bowen had "sought to depict a (sexual) fantasy" seen in downloaded material from the internet.
Bowen stalked his victim before he broke into her house, tied her hands together and repeatedly raped her.
The case highlights the link between pornography and violent attitudes and behaviour towards women.
Pornography is not new, but the development of the internet has contributed to a marked shift towards more extreme and more violent sexual imagery. Materials that would not pass Australia's film and television classification system are freely available — to young and old — on the internet.
Images of rape, coercion and abuse are commonplace. Even when the acts portrayed are not so abusive, the images are degrading and humiliating. The vast majority of portrayals are of men doing things to women for men's indulgence.
These are more than just pictures on a screen. They are images that are ripe with meanings about men and women, what they like and about how they ought to treat each other. They are images that impact on the perceptions, attitudes and behaviours of those viewing them.
Research suggests a clear link between exposure to or consumption of pornography and male sexual aggression against women. This connection is strongest when the imagery is violent. But it is also relevant to non-violent pornography, particularly for frequent users. Exposure to sexually violent material increases male viewers' tolerance of sexual violence and reduces their empathy for victims of violence, including rape.