tw // csem, sexual violence

seeing a lot of "fiction doesn't affect reality" in regards to the ao3 situation so here is some scientific evidence that fiction does affect reality (also if you are trying to defend lewding minors i don't trust you, fucking nonce)

"There is a very fine line between fiction and reality. Humans are wired in such a way that they like to believe everything that reflects the better version of the real world." (Abhinav Singh, 2018)

"Researchers in psychology, neuroscience, child development and biology are finally starting to gain quantifiable, scientific evidence showing what writers and readers have always known: that stories have a unique ability to change a person’s point of view." (Jessica Wise, 2021)

“Reading aggression in literature can influence subsequent aggressive behavior, which tends to be specific to the type of aggression contained in the story." (Sarah M. Coyne, 2011)

In the findings of the study quoted above, those who read a fictional description of physical violence were more likely to punish an irritating stranger by making him or her physically uncomfortable. (Tom Jacobs, 2011)

"The brain, it seems, does not make much of a distinction between reading about an experience and encountering it in real life; in each case, the same neurological regions are stimulated." (Annie Murphy Paul, 2012)

Research by Keith Oatley, a professor of cognitive psychology at the University of Toronto has found that reading produces a vivid simulation of reality and often offers an especially rich replica.

Raymond Mar, a psychologist at York University, conducted a study concluded that there was substantial overlap in the brain networks used to understand stories and the networks used to navigate interactions with other individuals.

"Narratives offer a unique opportunity to engage this capacity, as we identify with characters’ longings and frustrations, guess at their hidden motives and track their encounters with friends and enemies, neighbors and lovers." (Annie Murphy Paul, 2012)

im running low on spoons so this is all ive got for now but feel free to add more in the comments, id also recommend you read Hadeel Al-Alosi's dissertation "Fantasy Crime: The Criminalisation of Fantasy Material Under Australia's Child Abuse Material Legislation"