Book Censorship: What Are the Reasons Behind It?

We are talking about the books that have faced censorship and aren’t available anywhere to read. According to PIA’s blog post, it was revealed that approximately 39 states in the US had active book-banning legislation in 2023, with 113 bills further introduced throughout the year.

What’s shocking is that most of the residents living in these states weren’t aware of any legislation regarding the censorship of books and firmly believed that there shouldn’t be any book bans. So, why is it that the US is one of the biggest countries that has imposed a nationwide ban on books, and what agenda is the country serving by doing so? In the following sections, we will take a deeper look into the questions every bookaholic has concerning book bans.

Most Banned Books from 2012 to 2022

The most common reasons behind book censorship in the US and globally is the mention of s*xual themes such as r@pe, inc*st, dr*g abuse, violence, and LQBTQIA+ content. Most books that openly talk about different s*xual orientations, address body image issues, gender identity, and more are censored because many individuals fear they can stir a normalized behavior about such topics. LGBTQIA+ is already a highly sensitive topic and raises various concerns and discussions across different perspectives and moral influences.

There are also multifaceted issues behind book censorship, such as a difference in political and religious views, cultural sensitivities, moral and ethical concerns, and several other controversial topics like economic interests, National Security, public safety, etc. One of the biggest reasons behind imposing censorship on these books is to protect children and young adults from such heavy genres. These genres can influence young minds in the wrong direction if they are given free access to them.

Biggest Book Bans of All Time

Wrapping Up

Globally, book censorship reflects a wide range of motivations, including the vision to protect young readers, upholding moral standards to simmer down any political and cultural controversies, any racial indifferences, and more. While the reasons behind the censorship in different regions may vary, the bottom line remains the same - a balance between the freedom of expression and a burning desire to prevent any controversies.