Not in Front of the Children facts for kids

Not in Front of the Children: "Indecency," Censorship, and the Innocence of Youth is a non-fiction book by lawyer and civil liberties expert, Marjorie Heins. It explores freedom of speech and how censorship is often used to "protect" young people. The book looks at the history of censorship from ancient times to today.

It talks about famous works that were censored, like Ulysses by James Joyce and Lady Chatterley's Lover by D.H. Lawrence. It also discusses how comedian George Carlin's "seven dirty words" routine was censored. Heins also examines laws in the United States that try to control what young people see online, such as the Children's Internet Protection Act.

Marjorie Heins asks if seeing certain media, even violent content, really harms kids and teens. She argues that the government cannot easily censor things for young people without also limiting the rights of adults. The book suggests that trying to protect youth through censorship can actually cause more harm than good.

Not in Front of the Children won the Eli M. Oboler Award in 2002. This award is given by the American Library Association for the "Best Published Work on Intellectual Freedom." Many reviews recommended the book for discussions between young people and adults.

Meet the Author: Marjorie Heins

Marjorie Heins at an event for the National Coalition Against Censorship in 2009

Marjorie Heins is a lawyer who focuses on civil liberties, which are the basic rights and freedoms of people. She studied at Cornell University and then at Harvard Law School.

When she wrote this book, Heins was the director of the Free Expression Policy Project. This project is part of the National Coalition Against Censorship. Her work focuses on protecting people's right to express themselves freely.

What the Book is About

Not in Front of the Children discusses George Carlin's "seven dirty words" routine as an example of censorship.

Not in Front of the Children tells the story of censorship through history. It starts from ancient times in Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome, and continues through the Middle Ages to modern days. Heins looks at laws like the Comstock laws from 1873. These laws made it illegal to send "immoral" writings through the mail.

The book gives examples of censored works, including famous novels and comedy routines. It also talks about more recent censorship issues, like those related to the Columbine High School massacre. Heins also discusses laws like the Children's Internet Protection Act and the Communications Decency Act. These laws aim to control what young people can access online.

Heins explores whether exposure to violence or other content truly harms children and teenagers. She believes that censorship for young people is often based on the idea that they are innocent and could be "corrupted." She explains how this belief has been used to justify censorship.

The author asks whether the government or parents should decide what children can see. She thinks parents should have the main say. Heins argues that the government cannot censor things for kids without also limiting the First Amendment rights of adults.

Censorship and Its Impact

U.S. Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas wrote a different opinion in Ginsberg v. New York.

Marjorie Heins believes that the government should not decide what should be censored. She stresses that society should only censor material if it clearly causes real harm to young people. It is very hard to decide exactly what should be censored. This can lead to censorship that goes too far and has negative effects.

Heins warns that censorship can have a big impact on society. She says that censors should be sure there is actual harm, not just imagined harm, before making laws that restrict content.

The book also looks at how U.S. case law (laws based on court decisions) has different rules for censoring content for children and adults. Heins describes a 1968 Supreme Court of the United States case, Ginsberg v. New York. In this case, the court supported a law that stopped young people from seeing certain uncensored media.

Heins shows how other states used this ruling to increase censorship based on what they considered "moral." She explains the dangers of letting the government decide what is appropriate for young people. Heins concludes that censorship, even when meant to protect youth, can actually harm them.

Key Ideas of the Book

Scholars have discussed Not in Front of the Children in academic articles. They see it as a book that balances education with the negative effects of censorship. Many experts agree that the book highlights the importance of allowing young people to access educational resources.

One scholar noted that Heins argues that trying to shield young people from certain events can lead to negative, unexpected results. She emphasizes that open discussion is vital for a society that values freedom of choice. Debate and thinking deeply about issues are important for growth.

Another article described Not in Front of the Children as a strong argument against the idea that certain content is "harmful to minors." The author of that article said Heins successfully showed that this idea, which is behind laws like the Children's Internet Protection Act, is hard to prove. Heins argues that censoring works from children can negatively affect their creativity, healthy mental growth, and ability to adapt.

Experts also point out that if the goal of educating children is to help them become independent thinkers, then we need to be careful about how much we censor. The book also explores how questions about artistic value versus protecting students from perceived harm have come up repeatedly throughout the history of censorship.