Despite its widespread use, pornography has been vilified as a symptom of personal and cultural depravity and as a cause of rape, aggression, devaluation of women, and marital dissolution. Yet in some cases there may be personal, relational, and social value to the use of sexually explicit material. In this paper, we briefly review the literature,…

This paper considers the legal consequences of adolescents accessing indecent images of children. It challenges the current default position that such behaviour is illegal and worthy of punishment. The paper seeks to understand the circumstances in which adolescents may seek age-appropriate material and considers whether this is more blameworthy…

Daniel Linz and Edward Donnerstein criticize the research methods and conclusions of pornography researchers Dolf Zillmann and Jennings Bryant (who allege that consumption of pornography results in antisocial effects). Zillman and Bryant respond. (ARH)

The history of child pornography photography is briefly reviewed and the current problem is examined and partially attributed to the profit motive. The authors urge changing child abuse reporting statutes to include photofinishing laboraties. (CL)

Focuses on the debates over the MacKinnon-Dworkin Anti-Pornography Ordinance to explore one instance of definitional argument: the attempt to effect a redefinition. Argues that advocates for a definitional shift created the possibility for a "terministic catharsis" by simultaneously locating pornography in multiple locations on the pentad,…

Studies the public responses to Andrea Dworkin's novel "Mercy" (about rape specifically and the sexual abuse of women in general). Suggests that Dworkin's "Mercy"--like other controversial cultural texts--fostered a type of literary public sphere and that defining these spheres as "war zones" does not foster open debate or a common space for…

Pornography is widely available and inevitably linked to crime and abnormal behavior. Social scientists must be concerned with the long-term effects on consenting adults and children and adolescents of exposure to pornography and human mutilation. An experiment in which a treatment group is exposed to pornography and a control group is exposed…

Reviews four Human Sexuality films and videos. These are: "Personal Decisions" (Planned Parenthood Federation of America, 1985); "The Touch Film" (Sterling Production, 1986); "Rethinking Rape" (Film Distribution Center, 1985); "Not A Love Story" (National Film Board of Canada, 1981). (AEM)

Comments on the Meese Report on pornography and why the library community should pay attention to the actual text. Positive alternatives to censorship are suggested to counter the commercialization of sex, e.g., giving women more decisive roles in media production and strengthening alternative media. (EM)

Pornography has become part of mainstream culture. As such, it has become a subject of academic research, and this, in turn, has implications for university libraries. Focusing on adult Internet pornography, this study suggests that academic libraries should provide access to adult pornographic Web sites by including them in their online catalogs.

This statement supports and endorses the Intellectual Freedom policies of the American Library Association (ALA) as exemplified by the ALA Bill of Rights. The case of Pico v. Island Trees Free School District provides a legal precedent in support of the idea that decisions to remove materials from the school library cannot be based on personal…

Argues that texts may be especially rhetorically effective when the content, the medium used to convey the content, and the real life experiences that make the content relevant are formally or structurally similar. Suggests that formal linkage creates rhetorical effect, and uses Burke's theory of forms to explain the effect of formal links. (MS)

Detailed analyses of three Supreme Court cases dealing with the First Amendment that are awaiting oral argument are provided. The cases are Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Philadelphia Newspaper, Inc. v. Hepps, and city of Renton v. Playtime Theaters, Inc. (RM)

Discusses ethical issues related to the Internet based on two speeches given at the Online 95 conference. Topics include pornography; copyright; libel and slander; and censorship imposed on the Internet by the secret service in Israel. (LRW)

Incorrect access to Web site addresses and spam e-mails are continuing to make pornography rampant on the Internet at schools, homes and libraries. Collectively, parents, teachers and members of communities must become more aware of the risks and consequences of open access to the Internet, and the distinction between censorship and Internet…