OfCom To Censor Video On Demand

All the amendment does is to add more restrictions, not remove any that Ofcom might want to impose.

Feminist groups (and perhaps swivel-eyed Harriet Harman) would argue that porn incites hatred against women by dehumanisaing them, or turning them into commodities, or raising expectations unrealistically high. No, I don't agree with that either, but that's how they think.

The 2005 Report on R18 is as unclear to me today as it was 5 years ago. Bits of it say R18 has a positive effect on under 18s, bits say it might have a negative effect, or there simply isn't enough research. I'd have asked for my money back if someone gave me such an ambiguous report.

And sadly "the material must be available" almost certainly does not mean that that the BBC must provide R18 porn. I'm almost certain of that.

DanVox, no one said that. The Comms act doesn't state who should broadcast what, so there's no 'obligation' for the BBC to start broadcasting anything outside their public service charter.

The law does however say that anyone broadcasting material that (by Ofcom's own admission) doesn't cause 'serious impairment' can make it available on-demand anyway they damn well choose.

The legislation says "Material which may cause serious impairment to under 18s must be made available in such a way that under 18s will not USUALLY see or hear it".

Note it doesn't say it must be banned or that it can be banned. The only stipulation is that it won't 'usually' be seen by minors. So, what does 'usually' mean? It is something that's normal or an everyday occurance, like perhaps, going to school, eating or sleeping. It's something people regularly do as a matter of everyday life - isn't it? Anything accidental, extraordinary or intermittent doesn't qualify as 'usual'.

As for the R18 report, please first note the title - "R18 material: its potential impact on people under 18".

Now explain what section 5, "The effects of pornography on adults", has got to do with a) the report brief expressed in its title and, b) Ofcom's remit to protect the under 18s?

There's no wonder the report makes little sense. The conclusion in section 4, "The effects of R18 material on minors", is however, quite clear

Quote:Young children (under the age of 12) do not seem to have developed enough emotionally to understand what sexual material is about and older children appear more angered by it than traumatised (Donnerstein et al., 1992; Silverman-Watkins & Sprafkin, 1983; U.S. Department of Justice, 1986).

Most researchers stress that good sex education and an open relationship with parents in issues of sexuality are more important for the child to develop normally than a ban on R18 material (Linz et al., 1992; Strasburger & Donnerstein, 1999; VanEvra, 2004; Zillmann, 2000).

Zillmann (2000) argues that results from research carried out with college students should be transferable to adolescents. He refers specifically to research on long term or frequent exposure to pornography and its relation to attitudinal changes (eg. less appreciation of traditional (sexual) relationships) (See also Allen, D'Alessio, & Brezgel, 1995; Allen, Emmers, & Gebhart, 1995; Bushman & Cantor, 2003)54.

There is some evidence for a positive effect of R18 material and young people; exposure to pornography at a younger age and a less restrictive parental environment seem to be related to a lower likelihood of committing sex crimes.

So, there you have it. And note the inference in the last paragraph - i.e. Denying YOUNG people access to R18 material and forcing them to live in an uptight, sexually repressive environment, can INCREASE the risk of them committing sex crimes.

As I've been saying here and elsewhere (for more than a decade) censorship does far more harm than good and, indeed, the very notion of 'Britishness' and Ofcom's version of 'generally accepted standards' is a recipe for CAUSING physical, psychological and moral HARM to persons under 18.

I think that's clear, don't you?

The rest of the report ('effects on adults') actually confirms the above conclusions and illustrates the resulting effects sexually repressive environments have on children as they become adults.

I know, but it's not me that you need to convince.