Does pornography play a role in the rape and sexual abuse of women?
Some psychologists claim that pornography undoubtedly leads to sexual violence (O’Toole & Schiffman, 1997; Pornography, 1986). These psychologists assert that a number of factors inherent in pornography make it almost certain that male use of pornography will cause violence toward women. The idea that pornography lowers men’s inhibitions surrounding sexual violence and that pornography conditions the male orgasm permeate much discussion of how pornography causes rape (O’Toole & Schiffman, 1997; Pornography, 1986). Psychologists who believe in a connection between pornography and sexual violence also rely heavily upon the issue of “positive victim reactions” in pornography (Schlesinger & Revitch, 1997; Odem & Clay-Warner, 1998). In this theory, it is held that because most pornography depicts women who seem to enjoy violence and degradation, men begin to believe that women enjoy sexual violence (Schlesinger & Revitch, 1997; Odem & Clay-Warner, 1998). This, in turn, causes men to act vio
