As indicated by Tovar, Elias, and Chang (1999), oneof thefirst research concerns deals with the Bauserman (1996) question of whether or not exposure to pornography plays a role in the development or execution of offending behavior. As they indicate (p. 261) the literature providesmuch clearer data with respect to the commission of the offense as opposed to the development of a pattern of behavior. From his own studies Bauserman concluded: “Rape rates are not consistently associated with pornography circulation. And the relationships found are ambiguous. Findings are [not] consistent with … the view that sexually explicit materials in general contribute directly to sex crimes (page 405).”
Milton Diamond
University of Hawaii, John A. Burns School of Medicine, Department of Anatomy, Biochemistry and Physiology, Pacific Center for Sex and Society, 1960 East–West Road,
Honolulu, Hawaii 96822, USA