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Novels popular with young readers often feature harmful themes including violence and misogyny, according to new research, sparking calls for an industry-wide book rating classification system, content warnings, and a parental awareness campaign. Source: ACU.<\/p>\n
Emma Hussey, a digital criminologist and child safeguarding expert at Australian Catholic University\u2019s Institute of Child Protection Studies, has called on parents and educators to take a closer look at popular novels, such as the Icebreaker series, which are being read by girls as young as 12.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t judge a book by its cover \u2013 pastel covers, bright colours, cartoony figures, and fairytale themes might make a book appear benign, but may not reflect the content inside,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Dr Hussey\u2019s ongoing research includes a thematic analysis of 20 romance, fantasy, paranormal and general fiction novels recommended by BookTok, which are popular among young readers, often available in school and community libraries, and easily accessible to children of all ages where young adult (YA) books are sold.<\/p>\n
Each novel contained elements of domestic and family violence such as sexual assault, torture, grooming, power and control including dominance and submission, and sexual objectification, and masculinity tropes including powerful, dangerous, and handsome male love interests.<\/p>\n
\u201cA 13-year-old reader may not yet have the critical thinking skills or lived experience to fully recognise the nuances of such themes and relationships, whereas someone in their late teens may have a stronger ability to engage critically,\u201d Dr Hussey said. \u201cYet, both ages are often lumped together in the YA category, most often without clear distinctions, leaving younger readers exposed to developmentally inappropriate content.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dr Hussey said the themes in the YA books analysed, including A Court of Thorns and Roses, Lore Olympus and Once Upon a Broken Heart were aligned with the \u201cPower and Control Wheel\u201d of domestic violence behaviours.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf young readers consistently consume stories where love is tied to obsession, jealousy, possessiveness, or control, they may internalise these behaviours as normal \u2013 even desirable \u2013 in relationships,\u201d she said. \u201cWe are already facing a domestic violence epidemic. If girls grow up believing these themes are what they should be looking for in a relationship we run the risk of perpetuating this cycle.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dr Hussey said educators, librarians, parents, guardians and young readers needed greater education, and that YA books, often the subject of discussions on sites such as BookTok, should be subject to a standardised classification system as is the case for films, TV shows, and video games.<\/p>\n
FULL STORY<\/p>\n