One argument against the theory that media violence leads to actual violence that is used over and over without reflection is that in Japan the media is very violent and yet there is little violence in their society. I wonder if this is true. I realize that there is a lot of sexism and rape fantasy in Japanese movies, also Indian movies. I looked at UN statistics and the reported rape incidence seemed low for both. I doubt that this reflects the actual incidence. Where can I find a more realistic source for international rape statistics?

Thanks for your note to Feminist.com. The one thing that I want to say about your point about "media violence" is that in the U.S.--this violence is more than in the media--but on TV constantly so it permeates more of our everyday society. Also, there seems to be more acceptance of violence in the US--but that is purely my perception.

About finding international rape statistics--you might want to contact UNIFEM--which is the division of the UN that deals with women's issues such as rape. There is also the US Department of State--which has a very strong and active women's division working on international women's issues. Either of these might lead you to more honest statistics. For U.S. statistics, there are many grassroots groups doing work around rape--and most of these rely on the statistics produced by the FBI and the Justice Department's Crime Division--or Violence Against Women Division. You can also take a look at our Violence Against Women section.

I hope these sources lead you to more honest information. Good luck.

—Amy