(Self-)censorship of sex-related language in translated young adult novels from English into Indonesian depictingsexual assault

This paper investigates censorship and self-censorship in six translated English young adult (YA) novels containing depictions of sexual assault published in Indonesia between 2005 and 2020. Situated within Descriptive Translation Studies (DTS) and employing a qualitative approach, this paper describes the censorship strategies and sociocultural aspects involved in translating sex-related language (SRL) employed by several publishing houses in Indonesia. The results reveal that textual and paratextual censorships are the most common practices. These censorships and self-censorships are largely influenced by the ideal readers, those within the age range specified on the cover of the novels, and sociocultural aspects. Sex-related language is often omitted or toned down, and the age classification for YA novels is frequently raised to align with target sociocultural expectations. This study also uncovers the dynamics of translators and editors when working on the censorship of novels. Finally, this paper sheds light on the practice of publishing translations of English YA novels in Indonesia, focusing on censorship in translation.