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Lolicon, or Rorikon (ロリコン) is a Japanese abbreviation of Lolita complex, which means pedophilia in Japan. Strictly speaking, Lolita complex in Japanese refers only to the condition, but the abbreviation lolicon can refer to pedophiles. Lolicon is often also used to refer to an attraction to any girl beneath the age of consent; in such a context, it might be more analogous to ephebophilia.
Lolicon artwork refers to sexual artwork, such as manga, portraying children or childlike characters. Most of such images are produced in Japan. They are usually of females between the apparent ages of 8 and 13, though sometimes much younger. Lolicon illustrations are generally legal in Japan, although pornography, including illustrations, that use actual children were outlawed in 2000. Sexual manga featuring children or childlike characters is called lolita manga, or loli-manga.
Lolicon is a frequent subject of scholarly articles in Japan, where it is a widespread phenomenon. Many general bookstores and newsstands openly offer illustrated lolicon material.
While technically not lolicon material, an ubiquitous theme in Japanese pornography is that of females of legal age dressed in school uniforms. Also popular is the practice of enjo kosai, a form of dating service in which adult men are paired with high-school-age girls.
Etymology
"Lolita Complex" is abbreviated as "lolicon" rather than "lolicom" due to the phonology of Japanese. Other foreign words with syllables ending in "m" are often transliterated in the same manner. The other Japanese spelling of the word is "rorikon."
In its original meaning in Japan, the term "lolicon" is not directly connected to lolicon art. "Loli" denotes any sexual imagery featuring young girls and children, not only manga, but also actual photographs of child models ("Loli photobooks") and videos. "Lolicon" can also refer to people who are sexually attracted to fictional or real underage girls and is thus synonymous to pedophile.
The meaning of "lolicon" has changed in the West (as has the meaning of words like anime, otaku and hentai). As evolved in the West, "lolicon" anime or manga is anime or manga that contains sexual/erotic representations of underage girls.
Subgenres
Toddlerkon is another Western term; it is essentially lolicon anime or manga that depicts girls younger than those in a typical lolicon image, typically infants and toddlers. Because many aficionados of lolicon find toddlercon offensive, the label was created in an attempt to distinguish it from lolicon images that focus on older prepubescents.
Cub art, in the furry fandom, is pornography portraying the young of many species of anthropomorphic animal. This particular genre is generally marginalized by the fans of mainstream pornographic artwork and much of the furry fandom.
Controversy
An attraction towards illustrated and fictional lolicon characters is frequently accused of being similar to or a form of paedophilia, particularly by Westerners. Defenders of such material say that it does not adversely affect children, and may in some cases help to relieve the sexual tension of actual paedophiles; opponents often say that the existence of fictional material encourages the viewing of children as sex objects or can incite actual sexual abuse. Despite the fact that most lolicon artwork is produced in Japan, there is no evidence that it has caused an increase of violent crimes against children and teens. Crime against children in Japan, as well as violent crime in general, is well below that of most other developed countries.
Legal issues
Images can be created which convincingly appear to involve actual under-age persons, but in fact do not. Originally this was done with adult actors who were disguised or could "pass" as minors. As digital animation technology has progressed, it has become possible to generate convincing simulations of child actors.
Proponents of prohibiting such materials argue that they might encourage child molesters and, when shown to a child, may give the child the impression that the depicted acts are normal (the term grooming is used in this connection); prohibition of possession could help prevent it being shown to a child. Also, the legality of simulated child pornography could make the prosecution of actual child pornography more difficult. Opponents of the prohibition claim that simulated child pornography does not harm children and should therefore fall under the (United States) First Amendment guarantee of freedom of the press.
Status in U.S.
The United States Supreme Court decided in 2002, and affirmed in 2004, that previous American prohibition of simulated child pornography under the Child Pornography Prevention Act was unconstitutional. The majority ruling stated that "the CPPA prohibits speech that records no crime and creates no victims by its production. Virtual child pornography is not 'intrinsically related' to the sexual abuse of children." The PROTECT Act of 2003 (also dubbed the Amber Alert Law), which was signed into law by President George W. Bush on 30 April 2003, also criminalizes simulated child pornography. Although the PROTECT Act's provisions regarding simulated child pornography have not been tried in the Supreme Court, in December 2005, Dwight Whorley was convicted under this law.
Status in UK
UK law has dealt with simulated images quite differently since 1994, when the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act introduced the legal definition of an "indecent pseudo-photograph of a child", which is prohibited as if it were a true photograph. The Act however doesn't include works of art such as manga if they do not appear to look like a photograph.
Status in Netherlands
On October 1, 2002, the Netherlands introduced legislation (Bulletin of Acts and Decrees 470) which deemed "virtual child pornography" as illegal. The laws appear to only outlaw "realistic images representing a minor engaged in a sexually explicit conduct," and hence lolicon may or may not be included.
Status in Germany
German law does not discriminate between actual or "realistic" sexual depictions of children.
Status in Canada
Section 163.1 of the Canadian Criminal Code defines child pornography as "a visual representation, whether or not it was made by electronic or mechanical means", that "shows a person who is or is depicted as being under the age of eighteen years and is engaged in or is depicted as engaged in explicit sexual activity", or "the dominant characteristic of which is the depiction, for a sexual purpose, of a sexual organ or the anal region of a person under the age of eighteen years." The definitive Supreme Court decision, R. v. Sharpe, interprets the statute to include purely fictional material even when no real children were involved in its production. From paragraph 38 of the decision: "Interpreting "person" in accordance with Parliament's purpose of criminalizing possession of material that poses a reasoned risk of harm to children, it seems that it should include visual works of the imagination as well as depictions of actual people. Notwithstanding the fact that "person" in the charging section and in s. 163.1(1)(b) refers to a flesh-and-blood person, I conclude that "person" in s. 163.1(1)(a) includes both actual and imaginary human beings."
In October 2005, Canadian courts sentenced an Edmonton, Alberta man to one year of community service for importing manga depicting child sex, possibly the first manga-related child pornography case in Canada. The man was on probation at the time for possession of child pornography that featured real children.
Status in South Africa
With the promulgation of the "Films and Publications Amendment Bill" in September 2003, a broad range of simulated child pornography became illegal in South Africa. For the purposes of the act, any image or description of a person "real or simulated" who is depicted or described as being under the age of 18 years and engaged in sexual conduct, broadly defined, constitutes 'child pornography'. Under the act, anyone is guilty of an offence punishable by up to ten years imprisonment if he or she possesses, creates or produces, imports, exports, broadcasts, or in any way takes steps to procure or access child pornography.
See also
- Contrasts
- Coppertone girl, illustrates state of mind and context make a difference.
- Similar concepts
- Legal aspects
- Sources
Footnotes
- President Signs PROTECT Act: President's Remarks Upon Signing of S. 151, the Protect Act (30 April 2003). Retrieved January 28, 2006.
- Pornography, Rape and Sex Crimes in Japan International Journal of Law and Psychiatry 22(1): 1-22. 1999.
- "Ashcroft v. Free Speech Coalition". Retrieved 12 January.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - "Bush signs child protection bill". Retrieved May 1, 2003.
- "Richmond man first convicted under expanded child-porn law". Retrieved 12 January.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - Justitie (1 October 2002). Retrieved January 20, 2006.
- Draft Convention on Cyber-crime (25 April 2000). Retrieved January 20, 2006.
- Interpol (8 Jan 2003). Retrieved January 20, 2006.
- R. v. Sharpe (26 January 2001). Retrieved February 20, 2006.
- Anime News Network (20 October 2005). Retrieved January 20, 2006.
- "Films and Publications Amendment Bill of 2003 (104kb pdf file)" (PDF). Retrieved 14 January.
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External links
- "Virtual child" pornography on the Internet: a "virtual" victim?
- Does comic relief hurt kids? - Japan Times (April 27 2004) Login required
- Imageboards (contain lolicon images that may be illegal in your jurisdiction)