Homosexual Offences as Reported by the Press

Abstract

An analysis of newspaper reports of prosecutions for male homosexual offences was carried out utilizing a collection supplied by a press cutting agency. Less than half the reports concerned prosecutions for activities with boys under 16. The majority were incidents of public indecency or importuning, usually in or around public conveniences. Non-consensual molestation of males over 16 was hardly ever reported. Many of the offences with the under 16s involved boys who participated willingly. The use of force was rarely reported.

The validity of findings based on press reports is discussed. The implications of the results for the understanding of homosexual misconduct are explored and possible applications in control policies are considered.

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