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Howdy folks, first post here, but long, long time reader. Having followed the whole Equality Now thing for some time I decided to put in my two cents via collaborated sociology research I did a while ago.
For those of you who thinks its TLDR allow me to sum it up for you.
"That increased availability of hentai and anime, or any fetish for that matter increases or induces sex crime = complete utter bullshit as proven below." Enjoy!
Also send that letter to [url=http://www.yestofreedom.org/send-letters/]to fight the cause!
A Digest of the Correlation of Sexually Explicit Materials in Japan with Rate of Sex Crime
(Wuto 2009)
There exists in every community that pornography breeds sin, that the availability of sexually explicit content breeds sexual violence, abuse, and pedophilia. The truth in this is as authentic as the weapons of mass destructions found in Iraq.
The theory that SEM caused sex crimes and drove young men to rape or pedophilia was cemented by a series of studies commissioned in the US in the 80s. The control and methods of these experiences were highly criticized for duping their subjects into producing results sought after by the researchers. These studies have been seriously critiqued (Brannigan, 1987; Brannigan & Goldenberg, 1986, 1991; Christensen, 1990; Becker & Stein, 1991) for being methodologically flawed and politically motivated to seek ends justified by the state commission.
A series of research carried out by developed nations over thirty years revealed that there is no correlation that can be demonstrated the availability of pornography to sex crime. (Kutchinsky, 1991) In fact meta-analysis showed that as the amount of pornography increasingly became available, the rate of rapes in these countries either decreased or remained relatively level. (Kutchinsky, 1991)* Generically, the evidence against the positive link between availability of porn and sexual crime waves are either politically motivated or has no empirical scientific basis, or that no sufficient amount of research has been conducted to reach a conclusion. (McKay and Dolff 1984)
In Japan, a nation with a flourish history of abuse of women, patriarchal dominance, and subservience of women not to mention 13 years of legalised prostitution and rape such as the WWII comfort women fiasco. One would think there be a significant culture of sex crimes, but instead it has some of the lowest in the world. This article mainly synthesises various papers that show the correlation between the availability of pornographic material in Japan to the question of its relationship with sex crimes. SEM (sexually explicit material) will be our lexicon for the purpose of this segment in lieu of anime, hentai, fetish, and other pornographic product markets.
Since the 90s there has already been a crusade against Manga and Anime directed at children that contained explicit sexual content. (Mainichi-shinbun, 1990) Those living or has been to Japan will acknowledge the readily availability of explicit books, videos, DVDs, shows, and services that cater to any exotic form of erotic interests and fetishes. A small niche of these products are the topic of our discussion – that of anime and hentai. Despite this, Japanese culture remains one of the most conservative in the world, seemingly an ironic dichotomy of free expressionism and moralistic censorship. Juxtaposed in that no pornographic material in Japan can show genitalia, but depictions of the rape of a minor is perfectly legal. The 20th and 21st century has seen the relaxation of legality regarding SEM in Japan from scrutiny and suspicion to one best described as lax.
The world pornography industry hit an estimated $97 billion in 2006. In 2004, the anime market was estimated to be worth 20 billion yen according to the Nomura Research Institute – Within Japan. Of this, hentai accounts for a very small faction, a popular title will ship less than 100, 000 copies. In comparison a popular series episode disk of normal anime will often sell 250,000 copies or more.
One of the greatest concerns of the industry lies in that with the advent of Internet, as well as niche market stores and homogenised local industries (commercial districts, as it were) where SEMs readily available to persons of any age despite limitations. (Diamond & Uchiyama 1999)
The times are changing in Japan. In the eighties all pornography, particularly foreign ones that showed public hair were classified as contraband and destroyed by customs. (Abramson & Hayashi, 1984) Now such materials are locally produced and readily available in Japanese shops. They often contain actors or actresses that are still legal minors or are depicted as minors. (Diamond & Uchiyama 1999)
Since 1990, all forms of sexual services became legal and prevalent in Japan so long as they were registered with local Police authorities. Sexual commerce such as phone services, call girls, sex shops, massage parlours, soap land, love hotels and prostitution contracts are staple. Today these industries are restricted to specialized districts in Japan but can be considered pandemic. However the general attitude of the public towards SEM can be summed up with the decline of arrests despite the rise of SEM availability with registered outlets increasing 1000% in the period of 1972 to 1995. (Roposensho, 1995)
The correlation of crime with this increase in SEM however can be seen in the decreasing trend of sex crime over the same period of 1972 to 1995. To quote the report by Diamond and Uchiyama 1999: “The incidence of rape has progressively declined from 4677 reported cases with 5464 offenders in 1972 to the 1995 incidence of 1500 cases with 1,160 offenders; a dramatic reduction in incidence of some two-thirds. The character of the rape also changed markedly. Early in our period of observation many of the rapes were gang (more than a single attacker) rapes thus accounting for the number of offenders exceeding the number of rapes reported. This has now become increasingly rare. The number of rapes committed by juveniles has also markedly decreased. Juveniles committed 33% of the rapes in 1972 but only 18% of the rapes committed in 1995.”
Note also that in this period, the Japanese population increased by 25 million (20%), SEM services (recorded) increased by over 1000%. Furthermore the conviction for rape increased from 90% to 95% of all cases between 1991 and 1995. The statistical association is clear enough that availability of SEM not only does not incite sexual violence, it degenerates the frequency. (Diamond & Uchiyama 1999)
For convictions the legal age of these assaults begins at age 5 and expands to 49 for women, with mean petering out around the 20 – 24 bracket. It would stand to reason that if SEM readily available and joyed by juveniles and young adults were positively correlated with sex crime, one would see a spike on the statistical occurrence of young offenders and victims. However statistics show that the number of juvenile offenders dramatically dropped every period reviewed from 1,803 perpetrators in 1972 to a low of 264 in 1995; a drop of some 85%. The number of victims also decreased particularly among the females younger than 13. In 1972, 8.3% of the victims were younger than 13. In 1995 the percentage of victims younger than 13 years of age dropped to 4.0%. (Diamond & Uchiyama 1999)
Discussion
It is clear as blue sky that over the years the debauchery and availability of SEM such as Hentai, Doujin and other anime fetishes has become almost commonplace. The finding that there is no correlation between SEM and Sex crime is reflected in similar studies carried out in the UK, Sweden, Netherlands, and Germany. In the US the trend showed that as more censorship became prominent, so did crime rates – not surprising as the same amount of porn is circulated but now it’s an offence. In all countries examined non-violent sex crimes decreased as laws became more lax regarding SEM and attitudes changed toward pornographic material over three decades. (US Statistics Bureau 1977) In fact one researcher suggested that SEM that are instructional such as textbooks and the relax attitude regarding the myth of sex is a factor in the significantly higher rate of reporting of sex crimes in Japan. (Unknown Reference)
It is acceptable that there may be bi-literal influences at play such as increased literacy, public morals, better education of sex and sex crimes, as well as support by media services. However it is nevertheless cold hard truth that SEM, even explicit ones catering for niche markets do not correlate towards increase trends in sex crimes. Furthermore it is important to note that the SEM produced in Japan caters to every taste and fetish and is typically much more aggressive and violent. That sadomasochistic material, fetish material, and material depicting minors are staples that exceed those found in the US. (Winick 1985) Yet, as statistics show, this does not account for increase but instead decrease in crime correlated with these genres. (Christensen 1990)
Studies from 1960 to 1997 of sex offenders in the US has shown that a majority of offenders actually had less exposure to SEM in their background than others and the offenders generally were individuals usually deeply religious and socially and politically conservative. In fact offenders were typically deprived of any contact with SEM and saw sex as sinful and antagonistic. (Goldstein & Kant, 1973, Propper, 1972) Wilson (1978) goes as far as to suggest that “offenders develop patterns of sexual deviance have suffered relative deprivation of SEM experiences in adolescence and early adulthood.”
It was found after further study that negative ideas of pornography, foreign to Japanese culture, were accepted and particularly applied to visual depictions since they were the ones most likely recognized and thereby criticized by Westerners. Little attention was given to written SEM since foreigners would be unlikely to read Japanese and thus would not notice and criticize these. (Abramson & Hayashi, 1984) As such it can be seen that western feminists ostracize manga and hentai precisely because they are a form of SEM alien to the West but at the same time readily idenfiable. It is a reflexive action of the Western sensibility in ‘that’ which does not conform to Euro-Christian standards must be anathema. Coupled with the colonialist mentality of right wing political hardliners and rising feminist movements against anything slightly offensive, the storm in a teacup is a perfect one indeed.
Lexicon
Manga – a Japanese genre of cartoons, comic books, and animated films, typically having a science fiction or fantasy theme and sometimes including violent or sexually explicit material.
Anime – Japanese movie and television animation, often having a science fiction theme and sometimes including violent or explicitly sexual material
Hentai – The sexually explicit of the aforementioned
Eroge – Games involving the aforementioned
Fetish – a form of sexual desire in which gratification is linked to an abnormal degree to a particular object, item of clothing, part of the body, etc
Loli – A style of art focusing on youthful, prepubescent appearances of characters
Moe- Exclamation of excitement or euphoria associated with appreciation of manga or anime character
*with exception of the US, where rape was correlated positively by a state in house enquiry set by Regan.
References
Abramson, P. R., & Hayashi, H. (1984). "Pornography in Japan: Cross cultural and theoretical considerations". In M. N. Malamuth & E. Donnerstein (Eds.), Pornography and Sexual Aggression (pp. 173-183). New York: Academic Press.
Christensen, F. M. (1990). Pornography: The Other Side. New York: Praeger.
Giglio, D. (1985). "Pornography: A public policy for the United States?" Comparative Social Research, 8, 281-300.
Kutchinsky, B. (1973a). "The effect of easy availability of pornography on the incidence of sex crimes.". Journal of Social Issues, 29, 163-181.
Kutchinsky, B. (1973b). "Eroticism without censorship". International Journal of Criminology and Penology, 1, 217-225.
Kutchinsky, B. (1992). "The Politics of Pornography Research". Law & Society Review, 26, 447-455.
MacKinnon, C. A. (1993). Only Words. Cambridge, MA.: Harvard University Press.
Roposensho, (Japanese National Police Agency) (1989). Japanese Penal Code. Tokyo: Japanese National Police Agency
Uchida, T. (1979). "Dairy of Lawyer in Charge". Hogaku-Seminar, (December), 16-31.
Uchiyama, A. (1996). "A study on the attitude of girls toward the commercialization of sex". Reports of the National Research Institute of Police Science. Research on Prevention of Crime and Delinquency, 37(2 / December), 1-13.
Winick, C. & Evans, J. T. (1986) "The relationship between enforcement of state pornography laws and rates of sex crime arrests". Archives of Sexual Behavior. 25: 439-453.
Diamond. M., Uchiyama. A., Pornography, Rape, and Sex Crimes in Japan University of Hawaii Press 1999 Tokyo, Japan
Burns. C., Sexual Statistics in Japan: Confronting the Japanese Justice System Routledge Press. 2002
Hopper. J., Child Abuse Statistical Research and Resource
http://www.jimhopper.com Visited 3/10/09
Sankaku Complex Original Post
http://www.sankakucomplex.com/2009/10/01/equality-nows-lies-exposed/
Visited 01/10/2009
