ON Bookworld’s website, you can find My first cupcake decorating book, Children’s book of art and Children’s book of mythical beasts. But until recently, other beasts lurked among the titles hosted by the online book seller, the rebranded version of Borders.
Hundreds of titles appeared under the heading, Incest, titles far too explicit, not to mention disturbing, to be mentioned here.
Incest is a criminal act of abuse against children. About one-in-four is a victim of child sexual abuse. Yet companies are profiting from selling incest-themed fiction, supporting the views of abusers or potential abusers that it is acceptable to have sex with (i.e. rape) children.
Bookworld says it is working on solutions to monitor content more closely.
‘‘We agree with you that these titles should not be on sale and are very grateful that we have been made aware of them so that we can remove them from the site and ensure none like them will be available on Bookworld in the future,’’ said Bookworld’s Kim Noble.
While their prompt response is welcome, didn’t one staffer notice the titles and ask questions? And while Bookworld says it didn’t market the titles, surely carrying them at all achieves the same thing?
Why no audit checks of the data feeds they were channeling through their site? Why effectively traffick contraband materials without checking they weren’t breaching Australian laws?
It is just the latest example of the mainstreaming of child sexual assault material.
The Federal Government has established a royal commission into institutional responses to child sexual abuse. There are various other state and internal inquiries. Rightly so. The issue is a blight on our nation and everything must be done to stop it. But while millions are spent on these inquiries, we live in a culture which sends messages that child abuse is sexy. There’s no inquiry into the permission-giving drivers which encourage and enable the sexual abuse of children.
Like teen-themed sex toys which eroticised sex with girls advertised through Condom Kingdom; or a Melbourne sex store advertising a ‘‘back to school’’ sale complete with school uniforms, blackboards and apples for the teacher.
Amazon also lists incest titles. Last year, a global campaign forced a recall of A paedophile’s guide to love and pleasure.
Then there’s porn in the corner store. Pictures include one of a girl (allegedly over 18 but posed as a child, which is illegal) on a bed in bobby sox and pigtails, holding a hand puppet.
For years, child development advocates have called for action, sending multiple copies of illegal titles to the Classification Board. Board chief Donald McDonald has written hundreds of ‘‘please explain’’ letters to porn distributors but none bother replying. The board’s annual reports bear that out, documenting ‘‘no reply received’’.
The system is broken. Jeff Sparrow’s new book, Money Shot, reveals the contempt porn profiteers have for the system. Those in the industry say the risks of getting caught aren’t that great. Sparrow writes: ‘‘The adult industry of Australia was almost entirely outside the legal system . . . the remote possibility of a fine was like the spectre of shoplifting, an annoyance that just went with the trade.’’
Why haven’t state and federal attorneys-general, who are responsible for classifications, done anything to intervene?
Melbourne author Jayneen Saunders wrote Some Secrets Should Never Be Kept about helping children stay safe from child sexual abuse, but she has struggled to get a publisher and has been prevented from reading from the book at public places such as libraries, because of the nature of the content.
Yet, mainstream companies can profit from trading in products encouraging child sexual assault.
All these permission-giving examples undermine child protection. The idea it is acceptable to fantasise about children is given the tick by those who profit from trading in such fantasies.
If we are serious about addressing child sexual assault, when are governments going to address the culture which fuels and feeds it?
Despite the fact the system is stuffed, the Australian Law Reform Commission has endorsed selfregulation.
There are endless complaints about all the above and more, but the system doesn’t change.
I’ll vote for whoever decides to take this seriously.
Published in the Sunday Herald Sun March 3 2013
March 4th, 2013 at 5:29 pm
- “Bookworld says it is working on solutions to monitor content more closely” , well Bookworld, work damn harder but whatever you do now, I will never buy another book from you. Money is all that matters these days .. money to put in your parasitic pockets. Bookworld is just as predatory as AMAZON.
- a pathetic and transparent response from Bookworld’s Kim Noble. It’s just not good enough.
- Since the time Amazon was forced to withdraw “A paedophile’s guide to love and pleasure” I have not purchased anything from Amazon and would be unhappy if anyone in my family did so, not that they needed convincing. If not forced to withdraw this publication, it would still be on the shelf. Bookworld has joined the Amazon family of low-life exploiters, whose inner revel at their own brilliance and ability at creating self-convincing justifications must continuously astound and delight themselves. Perhaps time for another business name change Bookworld.
- Condom Kingdom can burn in hell like all the other scum. Surely these companies have hierarchy with kids. How can they contribute to the development of such a damaging environment. We need individuals names who run these organisations to name and shame, and check-in with their children to see how proud they are of their parents.
- The Classification Board? … what can I say? You, Donald McDonald, and your Board: TRY HARDER! .. FOLLOW-UP!! There are dangerous outcomes and conclusions in allowing escalating levels of vile behaviour to satiate the scum of this world. If you can’t do something about this despicable behaviour then GET OUT! so people with real commitment and clout can get-on with the reality of the matter, of what’s happening out here in life. And to hell with the people who think every kind of literature (+art and film) has a place – NO IT DOESN’T .. you people who support the right of this kind of expression need to get your heads out of your bums, but then, you might be feeling comfortable and warm up there in familiar territory.
- And as for you, the Australian Law Reform Commission endorsing self-regulation .. what the hell is wrong with you?! Don’t any of you have children? The hierarchy of the Australian Law Reform Commission should also get out of their flimsy roles they are making even more meaningless. As for protecting people, well, it seems like for all you care our community, our children, can get sucked-into any vortex of corruption and self-interest, as long as YOU don’t have to do too much. EVERYONE KNOWS MUCH/MOST SELF-REGULATION ONLY PLAYS THE HAND OF THE STAKEHOLDER, THE MAJOR BENEFICIARY, TO THE DETRIMENT OF SAFETY AND FAIRNESS IN COMMUNITIES.
- SELF-REGULATION CLEARLY DOES NOT WORK FOR THE PEOPLE.
- Well done on courage and determination to Melbourne author Jayneen Saunders wrote “Some Secrets Should Never Be Kept”
March 4th, 2013 at 5:50 pm
Last month I wrote a complaint to the Classifications department regarding Bookworld’s incest titles. Titles included:
Double teamed by Daddy and Uncle
Tina sits on Daddy’s face
Daddy takes my virginity
First time with my twin brothers
F*cking my black Daddy
Daddy’s naughty girls get what they deserve
Breaking in the babysitter
Father Tom takes a virgin
I am disappointed that the Sunday Herald Sun has omitted this information along with other pertinent details that were likely deemed too offensive and distressing to be published.
This is a challenge we often face in our activism- the media is unable to print images of the pornified advertisements or t-shirts as well as provide detailed information of the items we come across (e.g. teen themed vagina sex toys).
How are we supposed to address these issues if the issue itself if softened and sugar coated so as not to cause discomfort to anyone? We should rightly be uncomfortable by now.
March 4th, 2013 at 6:24 pm
Thank you to Melinda and Caitlin for your ongoing and powerful activism. So many of us support you, and continue to advocate for media and large corporations to be accountable.
A non-threatening, sensitive children’s book such as Some Secrets Should Never Be Kept will become a book all children will hear. But… I know it will take time and a community shift. However, a small mosquito in a dark room can cause havoc !
March 4th, 2013 at 6:25 pm
About time, too! This is only the first stop, of course.
We must eliminate ALL fictional accounts of criminal activity, lest anyone think it is somehow socially acceptable just because someone wrote about it. How many stories feature, as an example, someone holding up a bank with a gun, and of course, in real life, people then read about this and go on to hold up banks…WITH GUNS! The proof is in the criminalized pudding.
Numerous other examples follow, including drug use, all manner of violence, and other crimes….none of which would exist without the thought being planted in people’s minds by the FILTH they read.
We should starf with books, cleanse our minds that way, then movies, and any other fictional media people “create” (more like destruction, really, am i right?), and then maybe finally our great nations will be safe for the children, who will live in a brave new world free of all this chaos we have tolerated for far too long.
March 4th, 2013 at 9:32 pm
Bob, the fact that you equate the restriction of incest porn with fascism is very telling, and seriously disturbing.
Stories about men preying on their daughters and neices, or clergy preying on children are not simply fictional accounts as you suggest- they reflect and eroticise the real sexual abuse that one in four children in this country endure, often at the hands of a family member. They give credibility to the idea that sex with children is permissible, and that young victims even enjoy sexual abuse.
But then there are some entitled people who feel their right to masturbate to the suffering and abuse of others trumps children’s rights not to be raped. They make subtle distinctions as to when it is appropriate to use teenage vagina sex toys, to view porn of young girls with hand puppets, braces and pigtails being aggressively penetrated by older men and to enjoy incest porn without guilt.
If anyone needs to cleanse their mind Bob it’s you.
March 4th, 2013 at 10:14 pm
You seem to have misunderstood. I am agreeing…all fiction that resembles real life crimes SHOULD be banned completely, even if no one is actually hurt by it in the real world….how else are we supposed to improve the world?
We have too many books, movie, music and video games which are corrupting our society and leading us astray. Get rid of it all, and things should improve, GOD willing.
Not sure why you think I wasn’t serious. We need to eliminate thoughtcrime, or suffer the consequences. Only an insane criminal would even question the need for censorship now.