Should The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton be banned?

Most books in a middle school library should not be banned, but there are

some, like The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton, that should be restricted due to their

mature content.

Some people think that books should not be banned because the content

in the books teaches kids a lesson. On the website procon.org, it states, " . . .

these books look at the topics, the concerns, the worry, the fascination that kids

have today... It's the world in which they're living." Kids will actually get a heads

up to what’s going on in the outside world and it can help prepare them for the

dangerous things in the world and not just the safe ones. Also, kids might get

scared of certain topics like sex and violence but this might prevent them from

doing it themselves.

On the other hand, people think that books with mature content should be

banned because they could make kids feel afraid and encourage bad behavior.

In the article Parents Shouldn't Let Schools Force Kids To Read Smut, Jenni

White writes that “The American Academy of Pediatrics has found that exposure

to violence in media, including in books, can impact kids by making them act

aggressively and desensitizing them to violence.” This shows that children act

more aggressively due to exposure to banned books. Reading these books at a

young age could confuse them and make them think it’s okay to do bad things

like violence. For example, if kids read a lot about people fighting, people dying,
and people committing suicide, It could give them nightmares and could really

scare them, and no one wants that.

Also, The Outsiders should be banned for young middle schoolers

because the violence in the book is far too descriptive for them. On the night

Ponyboy got nearly drowned by Robert, Ponyboy said “I fought again

desperately but only sucked in water. I’m drowning, I thought, they've gone too

far...A red haze filled my mind and I slowly relaxed” (56). This could make young

kids have nightmares and parents would not want their kids reading about

violence this detailed. For example, if kids read about people solving problems by

fighting they might think that this is a good way to solve problems. Reading this

book might make kids act this way.

Another reason The Outsiders should be banned is that most of the

characters in the book use cigarettes and alcohol, and it could encourage bad

behavior. In the book, the main character Ponyboy is on trial because he

murdered Robert, who was trying to drown him. At the trial, Ponyboy said his

friend, “looked a little nervous, and [he] wished they'd let him have a cigarette”

(167). This could make kids think that it’s ok to smoke and that it will help you

feel better if you are ever stressed out. Parents probably don't want their kids

reading about drugs that can have a big impact. For example, if kids read about

people using alcohol and cigarettes when the characters in the book feel angry or

distressed then the kids might think it’s a good way to help them deal with their

own anger and distress.

 Overall, due to the drug use, depicted violence, and the fact that these

concepts can encourage a kid to try bad behavior themselves, it is clear that The

Outsiders by S.E. Hinton should be banned.