Not in Front of the Children: 'Indecency, ' Censorship, and the Innocence of Youth (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9780813542218)

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: Marjorie Heins
ISBN-10: 0813542219
ISBN-13: 9780813542218
Publisher: Rutgers University Press
Language: English
Published: 09/01/2007
Pages: 442
Format: Paperback
Weight: 1.09lbs
Size: 8.20h x 5.58w x 0.94d

Review Citation(s):
Reference and Research Bk News 05/01/2008 pg. 362