The nature of the effects and the degree of influence of aggressive pornography may depend partly on the background of the person exposed to the media stimuli and the sociocultural context in which exposure occurs. Feminist writers have argued that pornography is hate literature, particularly aggressive pornography, in which coercion is blatant. Research on the mass media and individuals' belief systems suggests that concern about the effects of aggressive pornography are well founded. Considerable research has focused on the effects of aggressive pornographic stimuli. The research of Abel and his associates has formed the basis of the rape index, which is the ratio of sexual arousal when viewing rape portrayals to arousal by portrayals of mutually consenting sexual behavior. The construct validity of this index as a measure of aggressive tendencies against women has been supported by experimental studies. Research has also shown that exposure to aggressive pornography may change observers' perceptions of rape and of rape victims. Negative effects on attitudes and increased aggression against females have been found following the viewing of aggressive pornography. However, the reporting of these research findings will not by itself produce changes in the content of the mass media. Public policy options that should be explored include legal options, political and economic options, and educational options. Eighty-four references are listed.