Is Pornography a Substitute for Rape?

The answer is Yes, if you listen to Todd Kendall, an economist at Clemson University. According to Kendall, the growth of the internet has lowered the price of accessing pornography, thereby increasing the consumption of porn--apparently at the expense of rape. Using data from 1998-2003, he found that "arrival of the internet was associated with a reduction in rape incidence." Read the paper to learn more about his methods and for an interesting history of pornography in the United States.

Thanks to David Friedman (via Greg Mankiw) for the hat tip.