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School District Bans Dictionaries Over Definitions
It’s hard to imagine anything more educational than a dictionary, so why has a California school district banned them outright?
Oh, those pesky definitions therein.
A cranky parent decided her kid’s dictionary was NSFW – or school – because Merriam Webster’s book contains the definition to the words “oral sex.”
So now they’re out of the classrooms, according to the Press Enterprise, local newspaper for the Menifee Union School District. A district spokeswoman says a review is being done to determine whether it’s age appropriate. Which will include actually looking for other “graphic” content.
In a dictionary?
As a parent who learned all her good old-fashioned sex talk on the school bus, I’ve got to know what’s so “graphic” about a factual, scientific definition. Because if you check out Merriam-Webster’s definition of “oral sex,” it’s defined as “sexual activity that involves stimulating someone’s genitals with the tongue or mouth.”
It’s succinct. Truthful. And if kids are looking up the words “oral sex,” you know they already know a little something about it. What better way to let them get the truth than a reference book? Perhaps you’d prefer they sneak onto the Internet, type the words in and accidentally come up with a real, live example? I’d much prefer my kid read a definition in the dictionary in fifth grade than tried it out for herself.
The notion that a fifth grader has never heard the words is laughable in and of itself, but the idea that they need to be protected from it even worse. Kids need facts and information to advance in the world. Hiding this sort of information away only serves to make it more mysterious – and can lead to more dangerous exploration.
At the risk of proving Godwin’s law, let’s not forget why the Nazis burned books – to deny any chance that people would learn new things that they didn’t agree with.
Do you think dictionaries need to be age appropriate or should parents be making their kids aware they can come to them with questions?
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[...] course, in a world where we’re now banning dictionaries for daring to give definitions, it’s no wonder children’s books get kicked out for being guilty by [...]
Texas Schools Ban Author for Book He Didn’t Even Write | Strollerderby commented on Jan 27 10 at 2:04 pm[...] a pretty sorry reason to censor the book. Of course, this doesn’t seem too different from banning the dictionary because it defines terms like “oral sex” (I bet “vagina” is in there too!) or banning an author completely because someone else, [...]
Anne Frank Was A Girl | Strollerderby commented on Feb 01 10 at 12:28 pmComstock commented on Jan 26 10 at 8:39 amAh, this brings back fond memories of looking up dirty words in the big dictionary in my elementary school library. I remember how the pages with bad words were easy to find, since they were creased and torn from countless hands looking up the most popular words in that dictionary.
PlumbLucky commented on Jan 26 10 at 9:09 amThat, and science books that the librarian had forgotten about (Catholic school, no less). Creased and torn pages told you EXACTLY where you were supposed to go.
Seriously though? They’re banning dictionaries? I fear for the next generation, as well as I fear for those of us who will first supervise them, then be at their mercies once we retire!
Scout's Honor commented on Jan 26 10 at 12:35 pmFridiculous!
Stephanie commented on Jan 26 10 at 3:11 pmBetter pull all the dictionaries that define “gay”… wouldn’t want any children to be coerced over to the other team via definition.
diera commented on Jan 26 10 at 5:15 pmAs we all know, it’s the most highly literate kids who are at greatest risk for outlandish sexual activities.
Sara D. commented on Jan 26 10 at 7:23 pmSo what? Her kid saw what the def of oral sex was, big freakin deal, she would have found out eventually in life, Instead of handling this like an adult by talking to her daughter and answering any questions and informing her that oral sex is not something she should do until she is older, this woman gets all the dictionaries banded. Smart idea, we are slowly making our children dumber and dumber from generation to generation. The children are no longer our future, our country is fucked.
signofreality commented on Feb 02 10 at 10:08 pmThe dumbing down of America. It’s sad but we’re allowed to reproduce. I remember in high school when FUCK was added to the dictionary, no one raised an eyebrow. There are more serious issues in America today to deal with, but there are people in their glass houses that have nothing better to do than draw attention to themselves so we can all witness their stupidity and feel shame for our education system. In 20 years I hope to be on another planet or dead because I dread how our world will be run by those with no education other than how to text and rip MP3′s.
Chet Daugherty commented on Feb 04 10 at 4:59 pmI wonder how the woman who wants this banned learned the meaning of the words or how to spell them or how to pronounce them. Chet’s law of genitics states that stupid people generaly have even stupider kids. It has something to do being part of the shallow end of gene pool.
Sarah K. commented on Feb 20 10 at 12:50 pmTake it from the kid who thought ‘orgasm’ was a really fun, intelligent sounding word to suggest at an improv in front of her entire 6th grade class. Kids need dictionaries. They should have them glued to their hand in fact.
James Smith João Pessoa, Brazil commented on Feb 25 10 at 7:31 pmSo once again, the religious reich imposes their sick mentality on everyone else. Let’s just burn all the books, destroy computers, the internet, VHS and DVD players, TV, and yes, newspapers, too. Any of those can lead to rational thinking and examining facts. Those are fatal to any religion. I read thing like this and I’d like to ban all religion everywhere for all time.
James Smith João Pessoa, Brazil commented on Feb 25 10 at 7:31 pmSo once again, the religious reich imposes their sick mentality on everyone else. Let’s just burn all the books, destroy computers, the internet, VHS and DVD players, TV, and yes, newspapers, too. Any of those can lead to rational thinking and examining facts. Those are fatal to any religion. I read thing like this and I’d like to ban all religion everywhere for all time.
James Smith João Pessoa, Brazil commented on Feb 25 10 at 7:31 pmSo once again, the religious reich imposes their sick mentality on everyone else. Let’s just burn all the books, destroy computers, the internet, VHS and DVD players, TV, and yes, newspapers, too. Any of those can lead to rational thinking and examining facts. Those are fatal to any religion. I read thing like this and I’d like to ban all religion everywhere for all time.
sarah commented on Jul 03 10 at 12:09 pmRE: Dumbing down of america…obviously it is too late already. These ignorant breeders need to be stopped. Maybe we need to review all books. Imagine a line in a book- My car is dirty so I decided to wash it…..OH NO ..”I decided to wa shit”…just move the letters and we have bad words. Do you need a new pen…No my PEN IS fine…aaaaggghh a penis in the sentence.
Solution to deal with these morons…IQ test before puberty and if too low compulsory sterilization.
Bel commented on Jul 05 10 at 11:33 pmSTOP assuming things like this always happen for religious reasons! It often had nothing to do with religion, but is rather about parents deciding their children are simply too young to be exposed to certain ideas. And no, I am not necessarily agreeing with that parent. It’s just very tiresome to see “religion,” as a generic term, being blamed for everything… when it’s really just stupidity. I am a teacher in a Catholic school and have that dictionary. Along with many more “inappropriate” books.
Mark commented on Oct 05 10 at 12:17 amComments If a parent doesn’t want their child to see or use a particular book fine, but to allow one or even several parents to make the decision for all the other parents in a school is unethical and just plain wrong shame on the weak school district to ban the books and then review whether or not they were “age appropriate” It shoul dhave been the other way around!
Adam commented on Nov 13 10 at 12:50 amI don’t know what’s worse. The fact that some stupid parent is up in arms over this or the fact that the school district is stupid enough to cater to her insanity. That, after all, is the real crime here.
Wombo commented on Nov 13 10 at 9:55 amWhen I was a kid, we had Junior Dictionaries in school which didn’t have any swear words in. They did the job for which they were needed in school, but we had to find a proper dictionary at home to look up ‘naughty’ things. It is, after all, a childish thing to look up offensive things and it is simple curiosity that drives such an action. If the school is so concerned over it, and crazy parents, just get dictionaries made for kids. They’ll still have time outside school to explore the real world.
Dee commented on Nov 13 10 at 10:57 amComments Banning the dictionary because 1 (one) parent found a word definition inappropriate?? Was she muslim by any chance?? Let her kid find out another way then. But banning dictionaries from the school over one parents problem is just stupid, disgusting, wrong, duh. Would you rather your child find out by performing the act?? Your a dumb ass parent and I feel sorry for your child, you dont seem fit enough to be a parent in the first place. Someone should call childrens aid, maybe the parent is worried about the child speaking about oral sex saying, Hey, thats what my mommy or daddy does to me and my siblings. I say a call to Child protection agency should be the next move. Dumbass parent and school for what they are doing.
Yeah Right commented on Nov 14 10 at 11:45 amIf your parenting encourages your children to be familiar with terms like “oral sex” – you’re doing it wrong. Most elementary school age children do not have the emotional development to properly work through concepts like this. Just because some are ready, doesn’t mean all kids need that exposure.
(Middle school is a different story.)
Yes, kids need to be educated about sex, but that education needs to be on par with their psychological development. Giving them too much information too early creates guilt, confusion, and potentially unhealthy sexual identity.
Ms Fox commented on Nov 14 10 at 2:08 pmHas anyone read 1984 by George Orwell? It’s not going to happen it already has
C. Smythe commented on Nov 16 10 at 6:38 amonly in america . . . the rest of the world has nude beaches
Kara commented on Jun 08 11 at 7:12 amThankfully, I own Dictionaries, both in English and American Sign Language, English to Spanish, English to French, and a hefty set of Encyclopedias right here at home, so I know my boys can look up all the dirty words they want. Geeze… I never used those books for such things, Around 4th or 5th grade I found under my moms bed, behind the box of pictures from her more adventurous years, were two pretty informative books, “The Joy of Sex” and “More Joy”. (I believe they were written by the same company that put out the “Joy of Cooking”) I sure wish my mom still had those books ;) We giggled and read and checked out the art work. Got caught, were allowed to ask questions and got caught again!
I read in detail the who’s how’s and what’s and I still didn’t ‘try’ any of it until I was much older- because I had (drunken) parental guidance that told me. DO NOT DO THOSE THINGS. Took me over 10 years and 3 kissing partners in the bushes to muster up the courage to give anything in those ol’ books a try!
I can not agree with taking information from children out of fear they will use it. Isn’t that the entire point of EDUCATION? TEACH them what is right and wrong, what is healthy and not. Parents and Schools alike are responsible for raising RESPONSIBLE, HONEST, productive members of society. I KNOW for a fact my 13 year old son is well aware of Oral Sex and what it is. Has he tried oral sex. NO! would he tell me. YES 100% I do not doubt that I have instilled the trust into my children that they can come to me with ANYTHING. I know I have because he sends his friends to me with the tough questions as well! I should go buy a few more updated copies of that dictionary!
Debra commented on Jun 08 11 at 11:50 amThey do make age appropriate dictionaries. They’re called parents and teachers. But if you’re really lucky they are not called friends! But if you try to over protect you child, you can sure bet they’re going to find a dictionary called “friend”.
When I was a kid we were taught to look up words we didn’t understand in the dictionary. So when I heard a friend talking about masturbation, I did exactly that, looked it up. I got a straight forward answer that was about as ungraphic as it could be, but it gave me enough information to know what my friends we talking about.
Now, I could have gotten on the internet and looked it up, but thank GOODNESS I didn’t! Who knows what I would have found! I could have asked my friends exactly what they were talking about, but what kid is going to embarrass themselves like that? I could have asked my parents, but then we would have to have “the talk” all over again, and what preteen/teen looks forward to that conversation?We are banning too much for the sake of our children. Generation upon generation have grown up with access to the same information. True, it is now easier than ever to get to the information. But, you notice, they are not banning the internet. If parents would step up and BE parents it wouldn’t be a problem. If you don’t want your children looking up sexual words, tell them what they mean! and don’t fuss it up. When I asked where babies come from my dad showed me a Nova video called, “Where Babies Come From” and I was 3!
Caro commented on Jun 12 11 at 7:44 amMoot point anyway since kids don’t crack open books anymore. I’d have been ecstatic if my students (high schoolers, mind you) used one of the fifty dictionaries I kept in my classroom rather than ask me every five minutes, “Sra, what does _____ mean?”
As kids, my friends and I looked up “oral sex” and everything else we could think of. But, we also had Sex Ed classes starting in 3rd grade, so we had pretty good access to straight info. So naturally we craved the “unofficial” story but, alas, no interwebs back then.
anonymousmagic commented on Jun 12 11 at 7:00 pmThe whole idea is weird to me. First of all there is nothing better than a succint dictionary definition if kids look up something graphic. You don’t want them to look this stuff up on the internet where they can get all sorts of misinformation and live examples.
Also, the measure is totally extreme. If it is just a few words that need banning, then why throw out the entire book? This decision will hamper those kids’ educational development all because the adults are too prudish to tell kids the truth.
Beth commented on Jun 12 11 at 7:30 pmThe OED in my grammar school had the definition for the slang word for excrement (I’m guessing you have a filter so I won’t use the word). We giggled up a storm about finding it in the dictionary. But my gawd, we had already heard that word before plenty of times. Reading the definition was nothing new. If that mother thinks her kid doesn’t know about it, I’ve got a bridge to sell her. You can’t shelter a kid forever, lady!
ButDoctorIHatePink commented on Jun 12 11 at 11:32 pmOkay, I think banning books is ridiculous, and I remember looking up “dirty” words when I was a kid.
But, um, “oral sex” isn’t a word. It’s a phrase. And, since when does a dictionary define phrases? You can define “oral” and define “sex” and be done with it.
FYI, I work in a high school and I seem some incredibly smart young people. It definitely gives me a lot of hope for the future.
Negative phrases like “breeders” is just the other side of the coin from this person who wants to ban this phrase.
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