Adelaide Hills teacher Jude Crowe claims ‘over-sexualised’ sexual health books in SA libraries should be restricted from teen access

Two mums have called for restrictions on what they claim as ‘over-sexualised’ sex-ed books, but experts say it will just expose teens to online horrors.

Adelaide councils have been implored to hide “graphic” sexual health books from kids – but the experts warn such a move could quickly backfire.

Fair Go upper house candidate Angela Rojas and Adelaide Hills teacher Jude Crowe have asked multiple Adelaide councils to restrict access to sex ed books they claim have “graphic sexual themes” and make public libraries “safe” again for children.

On Tuesday, Ms Crowe requested Mount Barker District Council place graphic teen novels, often under the guise of ‘sex education’” in a restricted area at the Hills public library.

She said her deputation was sparked by concerned parents “staying away” from the library because certain books, which she claims are “over-sexualised” could be accessed by their children.

Adelaide Hills teacher Jude Crowe outside the Mount Barker Community Library. Picture: Ben Clark

“They’re not feeling like their kids are safe,” she said. “Our library – once a safe, family-friendly space – has become a source of anxiety for parents.”

Ms Rojas has also approached Playford Council and Port Adelaide Enfield – where she said her deputation was censored by staff.

She said if those sex ed books were filmed, they would be rated R and restricted from display.

“A lot of it has good educational merit … but to teach consent, they must teach about sexual pleasure,” she said.

Anne Atcheson, manager of Sexual Health Victoria’s schools team, said the push to remove the books came from a place of “protection” but wouldn’t make things safer for children.

“Making that information inaccessible means they can’t talk about it, they can’t raise concerns, they know they’re not supposed to get it and the information they do get is secret and private so they can’t check the validity,” Ms Atcheson said.

“Both approaches have protection at heart, but censoring and withholding information doesn’t result in better child protection outcomes.”

She said many children or pre-teens go straight to the internet for information, making accessible books even more important.

Jude Crowe. Picture: Ben Clark

“They’re written with GPs, they’re accurate … the internet is the place that they find it and those sources aren’t credible, medically checked, or age appropriate for young people.”

SA public libraries such as PAE adhere to the state government library system’s intellectual freedom policy, which says personal views or the “potential of material to offend … do not limit” what libraries make accessible.

Mount Barker said materials it bought for the library and those available from other SA public libraries through the One Card Network “are legally published and openly available”.

Playford said its library collection was curated by qualified professionals and guided by the Public Libraries SA Network.

Ms Crowe called for the Mount Barker public library to classify books with graphic sexual themes in the same manner as films and video games.

She said her proposal was not about censorship but “responsibility”.

Asked how such policies would be regulated, she pointed to US states that have restricted access and implemented classification policies for “explicit ‘sex education’ materials” and said she wanted to “harvest how they did it”.

A classification board spokesperson said the onus was on publication distributors to determine whether their content requires classification, and a review of current classification guidelines was taking place.

Ms Crowe is hoping to “set off a fire” across Australia to rethink book classification and sex ed for children.

“Hopefully it stirs people to encourage this to be done across Australia – one person passes the torch to another and creates a rethinking of classification for printed material,” she said.

This is the latest call in Australia to restrict or ban access to sex education books.

Originally published as Adelaide Hills teacher Jude Crowe claims ‘over-sexualised’ sexual health books in SA libraries should be restricted from teen access