> all the better if it keeps potential predators from acting on real children.
The big question is if, those pictures could have the opposite effect.
The big question is if, those pictures could have the opposite effect.
This means that a ban caused more harm on real children.
I’m not convinced that it would be, but it’s an interesting hypothesis.
I don't think violent video games should be banned, whether they increase or decrease IRL violence (I personally suspect they don't have a significant effect either way). And I don't think "simulated CSAM" (where no actual minors were involved in any part of the creation) should be banned on that basis either (though I don't know enough to guess whether it would tend to increase or decrease actual violations).
Or, even more specifically, "does incredibly realistic-looking violence in video games induce violent behaviour in people who already have a propensity for violence?". I'm not talking about the graphics being photorealistic enough or anything, I mean that, in games, the actual actions, the violence itself is extremely over the top. At least to me, it rarely registers as real violence at all, because it's so stylised. Real-world aggression looks nothing like that, it's much more contained.