Surveyed Internet-using youth and their caretakers nationwide to investigate youth exposure to unwanted sexual material. One-quarter of the adolescents encountered unwanted sexual pictures in the past year. About one-quarter of those exposed were extremely upset, while the rest had no negative reactions. The use of filtering and blocking software…

Conducted qualitative content analysis to examine homosexual pornography on sale in adult bookstores during four time periods: 1960-1969, 1970-1974, 1975-1979, and 1980-1984. Results revealed four trends: less tendency to disguise homosexual pornography, increasingly explicit sexual content, increasing emphasis on physical attractiveness of…

Examines the National Commission on Pornography's purposes, membership, activities, deliberations, recommendations, and "Final Report." Notes that the Commission used evidence selectively and ignored recent thinking and scholarship on pornography. Points out that the commission received little attention from the mass media. (ARH)

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)

This paper evaluates current knowledge about the prevalence, dynamics, and short- and long-term effects of sexual exploitation among missing children. It is based upon empirical research findings from books, papers presented at professional meetings, doctoral dissertations, works in progress, and more than 75 articles in professional journals.…

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,…

Many people fear that the current explosion in mass media technology is negatively affecting individuals and society via-a-vis considerations related to the accessibility of pornographic materials. The way this accessibility affects young people is of particular concern. In this article, the author addresses these concerns from the legal and…

Assessed sexuality attitudes of black middle-class sample (N=124) concerning communication regarding sexuality information, adolescent contraception, adolescent pregnancy, nonmarital intercourse, responsibility for contraception and pregnancy, abortion, pornography, and masturbation. Results suggest that participants were well-informed, moderate,…

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…

Like other technologies, the Internet is vulnerable to misuse by hostile individuals (flamers), sexual predators, and pornographers. Schools can shield students from these negative influences by using LinQ, a new product that restricts access to certain inappropriate Internet areas. Technology codes of conduct and staff development are alternative…

Explores the social construction of the various computer hazards that households are encountering, such as computer addiction and children's access to on-line pornography. Discusses these issues in terms of constructivist counseling perspectives that are sensitive to cultural and environmental contexts. Outlines specific strategies for countering…

Women suffer a variety of detrimental effects from exposure to violent pornography. This study examined the role of specific situational cues embedded within a violent pornographic story, as well as alcohol consumption and alcohol expectancies, to determine potential mechanisms through which these effects occur. Female social drinkers (N=123),…

The report addresses the status in North Carolina and in the nation of child exploitation. Legislative and judicial backgrounds of child pornography and child prostitution are reviewed, and difficulties in obtaining statistical data are noted. Law enforcement issues in pornography are cited, and suggestions for further legislation regarding child…

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…