Not in Front of the Children: 'Indecency,' Censorship, and the Innocence of Youth

Marjorie Heins

Published by Rutgers University Press 2007

Not in Front of the Children

'Indecency,' Censorship, and the Innocence of Youth

Marjorie Heins

https://doi.org/10.36019/9780813543888

Overview
Contents

About this book

From Huckleberry Finn to Harry Potter, from Internet filters to the v-chip, censorship exercised on behalf of children and adolescents is often based on the assumption that they must be protected from “indecent” information that might harm their development—whether in art, in literature, or on a Web site. But where does this assumption come from, and is it true?

In Not in Front of the Children, Marjorie Heins explores the fascinating history of “indecency” laws and other restrictions aimed at protecting youth. From Plato’s argument for rigid censorship, through Victorian laws aimed at repressing libidinous thoughts, to contemporary battles over sex education in public schools and violence in the media, Heins guides us through what became, and remains, an ideological minefield. With fascinating examples drawn from around the globe, she suggests that the “harm to minors” argument rests on shaky foundations.

Author / Editor information

MARJORIE HEINS is the founder of the Free Expression Policy Project (FEPP) and is a fellow in the Brennan Center for Justice Democracy Program.

Reviews

An indispensable resource for anyone concerned about censorship, obscenity, and harmful to minors content in any era.

— Electronic Frontier Foundation

[Heins] makes a well-reasoned argument that censorship in the name of children harms them more than it helps.

— Library Journal

The best work in the field on the subject.

— Professor Brett Gary, New York University

Heins's historical argument makes an important contribution to the literature on civil liberties and child psychology.

— Publishers Weekly

An indispensable resource for anyone curious about censorship designed to "protect" young people.

— Judy Blume

Topics

Frontmatter Publicly Available Download PDF	i
CONTENTS Publicly Available Download PDF	ix
Acknowledgments Publicly Available Download PDF	xiii
Introduction to the 2007 Edition Publicly Available Download PDF	xv
INTRODUCTION Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	1
1. “ TO DEPRAVE AND CORRUPT” Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	15
2. MORE EMETIC THAN APHRODISIAC Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	37
3. THE GREAT AND MYSTERIOUS MOTIVE FORCE IN HUMAN LIFE Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	60
4. POLICING THE AIRWAVES Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	89
5. THE REIGN OF DECENCY Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	109
6. THE IDEOLOGICAL MINEFIELD: SEXUALITY EDUCATION Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	137
7. INDECENCY LAW ON TRIAL: RENO V. ACLU Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	157
8. FILTERING FEVER Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	180
9. CULTURAL DIFFERENCES Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	201
10. MEDIA EFFECTS Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	228
CONCLUSION: “THE ETHICAL AND MORAL DEVELOPMENT OF YOUTH” Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	254
NOTES Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	265
INDEX Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	373