THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN NONENFORCEMENT OF STATE PORNOGRAPHY LAWS ANDRATES OF SEX CRIME ARRESTS

The nonoperation of antipornography statutes in four states (Maine, No rth Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Washington) for varying periods betwee n 1973 and 1986 provided an opportunity to examine the impact of such statutes and pornography availability on sex crimes because nonenforce ment is associated with an increase in the availability of sexually ex plicit materials. Arrests for property offenses and for rape, prostitu tion, and other sex offenses during the period before the suspension o f the laws, when compared with the period during suspension, reflected no significant changes. Findings are consistent with other foreign an d American studies that have failed to find a link between exposure to sexually explicit media materials and rates of reports of rape and ot her sex offenses.