Does Porn increase the chances someone will commit rape?

Summary of YES:

·       It should not be assumed that violence only occurs in the making of violent porn.

·       25%-30% of college males admit that they would be more likely to rape if they could get away with it.

·       One study found that males aging between 14-18 said that if a female gets him sexually excited, that would make it more ok to rape her than other factors.

·       Porn is not the sole cause of rape but it is a part of a multi causal relation to rape.

·       Males that were predisposed to rape fantasies and sexual dominance and submission are more likely to commit rape.

·       Being more exposed to pornography creates an appetite for sex therefore leading to many causes of rape.

Summary of NO:

·       Studies show those males with less exposure to porn have an increased rate of rape.

·       Some males that watch porn may be getting their sexual cravings out of their system thus leading to a reduction in their feeling to rape.

·       The states with the highest internet access have fewer rapes compared to states with less internet access.

Reflection:

            Certainly the upbringing, illness, and previous experiences of being victimized play a role in explaining why some males end up committing rape, those factors are a given for this reflection. However, in regards to the average male that has not been affected by any of the above, does simply watching porn increase the likelihood or even cause normally average males to commit rape? No. After reading the article and discussing this topic in class, I hold the position that, if anything, watching porn decreases the likelihood of the average male committing rape. I think that those who choose to rape do so to fulfill a need to control a female. I do not think they rape to “get off.” However, I have no doubt that a majority of males that log on to watch porn do so specifically to “get off.” Therefore, those who commit rape are fulfilling a desire, need, or want. Whereas, those watching porn do so to fulfill a want for physical pleasure. I am not aware of any study on the mental status or attitude of males before “getting off” compared to after, but I assume that the average male goes through a significant mental change. As males we are designed to procreate. The desire, want, need is present in a vast majority of males naturally. This desire has not changed with time, rather what has changed is the method we go about satisfying this natural emotion.

            Before the internet and dvds there were few options other than our imaginations, pictures, or even committing rape or sexual assault that could help us fulfill our desire to experience the feeling that results in “getting off.” Now, we have nearly an endless amount of free videos to watch online and we can do so as often as we want privately. So for the average male who naturally has the desire to “get off” we can do so anytime we want and I imagine that there are millions of males that do so on a daily basis compared to those in the pre-internet era. Those males back in the day may have gone days, weeks, or months without fulfilling this natural desire. I can certainly imagine the rate of rapes being higher during that time, because the longer a male goes without fulfillment the stronger the desire becomes, it really is quite powerful, even to the point of changing the way a guy lives his life or views society. I imagine for some, that after months or years of not fulfilling their desire brought them to a breaking point, and they fell prey to their emotions and committed rape. However, for a male to reach that breaking point, I think there has to be some sort of mental change that occurred over those months or years. Consequently, once they do “get off” its no longer satisfying and they much continue to search for satisfaction. This problem is no longer true. Males watch porn and fulfill their natural desire on a daily basis or anytime they want, thus decreasing their likelihood of reaching their breaking point.