Research Thesis

Censors often misrepresent book censorship, claiming that removing a book from a certain grade level or requiring parental consent does not count as a book ban, since students still have access to it. They can, for example, buy it from a book store, or read it online. However, any form of restricting books to students remains a book ban because it makes it more difficult to maintain access to that material.

Many arguments about suitability for students are based on a flawed idea of what “age-appropriate” truly means. This construction of innocence is taken advantage of by censors to limit ideas that make them uncomfortable. If the idea behind books was to make children feel good, then many books we recognise as classic literature should be banned. Obviously, this is not the case. The Parental Rights Movement focuses on a parent’s right to choose what their student reads; this is a right all parents have, and therefore when parents cannot choose to remove a book from a school library simply because they do not want their child to have access to it. This is an infringement on the rights of other parents to decide what their child may or may not read.

For many censoring organizations and groups, books are challenged on two main criteria: obscene and/or pornographic material. However, many don’t use the legal terms or framework already given for those two terms, allowing books with sexual violence to be misportrayed as pornography, or depiction of puberty as obscene. The act of banning books is unconstitutional when it is challenged based on personal dislike. Under the Constitution, this would be considered viewpoint discrimination, which is often seen in challenge forms when the challenger declares a book unsuitable for portraying, for example, a same sex couple in a children’s book, or discussing the repercussions of racism to this day. There is a formal way of challenging books, but more often than not, challengers send in an email or speak with a teacher to get it removed, rather than following the framework that is already there. Without the formal evaluation, books that should not be banned are being restricted to students.

Banned books often feature marginalized voices and views, which creates an environment where students feel safe to express their identity and discuss sensitive topics. Without some of these books, students can be less empathetic or understanding about the lives of their peers. People targeted by book censorship, such as black and LGBTQ+ students, already face higher levels of bullying, depression, and suicide compared to their peers.