The title of
Judith Levine’s controversial
book,
Harmful to Minors: The Perils of Protecting Children from Sex, summarizes her main themes. Modern
American society tries to prevent
children from being exposed to involved in any
sexual activity. However, Levine argues that this protection of
children actually acts against their own
best interests.
On some topics, the book reinforced my existing
beliefs. Sexual imagery, such as
pornography, does not cause any
psychological harm.
Abstinence-only
sex education has a limited effect, delaying
sexual activity by a few months on average. But, when students start having
intercourse, they’re less likely to practice
safe sex and more likely to become
pregnant or catch an
STD. Levine provides interesting details about the current policies, the social currents that fostered them, and their impact.
In the most provocative chapters of the book, Levine challenges the
conventional wisdom about sexual activity by younger people and its impact. She illustrates her argument with a well-publicized case of a 13-year old female who became involved with a 21-year old guy who she met
on-line. In that situation, they both appeared to be in
love with one another, but the
teenager’s parents pressed charges and the guy ended up in
jail. Levine points out that
women often lose their
virginity to older
men, and that studies have found no correlation between early sexual activity and later psychological problems. Though those arguments make sense intellectually, something still feels wrong about that much of an age difference in a romantic relationship.
Another chapter describes the societal reactions to what
anthropologists call “
sexual rehearsal play.” Though it often makes adults uncomfortable, many children touch one another sexually. Levine describes a nine-year old boy who touched his younger sister. The government put the boy into psychological treatment as a
sex offender and took both children away from their mother for years. Levine argues that the
sex play didn’t cause any
harm, but the official response did. I have no idea what's the correct course of action in this situation.
Levine
advocates her views strongly, to the extent that she omits valid opposing issues. For example, the chapter on
pedophilia mentions the small percentage of men attracted to children, and how few of them act on their desires. She also reviews the
hysteria over
satanic ritual abuse, which never actually happened. These arguments downplay the many children who are
molested each year. A more balanced discussion would be easier to accept.
The proceeding discussion is all based upon the first five chapters of
Harmful to Minors. The second half of the book is basically worthless, consisting of common knowledge and trite observations. I’d recommend the first half of the book, which you’ll find thought-provoking, though unsettling, even if you disagree with it. After that, there’s no reason to push through to the end.