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

Not in Front of the Children: 'Indecency,' Censorship, and the Innocence of Youth By Marjorie Heins Cover Image
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Description


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.

About the Author


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

Praise For…


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

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

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

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

The best work in the field on the subject.
— Professor Brett Gary


Product Details
ISBN: 9780813542218
ISBN-10: 0813542219
Publisher: Rutgers University Press
Publication Date: September 11th, 2007
Pages: 442
Language: English