Title: Banned Books - Top 3 Pros and Cons - ProCon.org
Headings: Banned Books – Top 3 Pros and Cons
Banned Books – Top 3 Pros and Cons
Should parents or other adults be able to ban books from schools and libraries?
Pro 1
Parents have the right to decide what material their children are exposed to and when.
Pro 2
Children should not be exposed to sex, violence, drug use, or other inappropriate topics in school or public libraries.
Pro 3
Keeping books with inappropriate content out of libraries protects kids, but doesn't stop people from reading those books or prevent authors from writing them.
Con 1
Parents may control what their own children read, but don't have a right to restrict what books are available to other people.
Con 2
Many frequently challenged books help people get a better idea of the world and their place in it.
Con 3
Books are a portal to different life experiences and reading encourages empathy and social-emotional development.
Discussion Questions
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Content: 22] Books are most often challenged at public libraries (59%), school libraries (23%), schools (14%), academic libraries (3%), and special libraries (1%). [ 24]
Sexually explicit content, offensive language, and “unsuited to any age group” are the top three reasons cited for requesting a book be removed. [ 1] The percentage of Americans who think any books should be banned increased from 18% in 2011 to 28% in 2015, and 60% of people surveyed believed that children should not have access to books containing explicit language in school libraries, according to The Harris Poll. [ 3]
Should parents or other adults be able to ban books from schools and libraries? Pro 1
Parents have the right to decide what material their children are exposed to and when. Having books with adult topics available in libraries limits parents’ ability to choose when their children are mature enough to read specific material. “ Literary works containing explicit sex, oral sex, explicit & violent descriptions of rape, masturbation, vulgar and obscene language” were on the approved reading list for grades 7-12, according to Speak up for Standards, a group seeking age-appropriate reading materials for students in Dallas, Texas. [ 4] If books with inappropriate material are available in libraries, children or teens can be exposed to books their parents wouldn’t approve of before the parents even find out what their children are reading. [ 16] “ [O]pting your child out of reading [a certain] book doesn’t protect him or her. They are still surrounded by the other students who are going to be saturated with this book,” said writer Macey France. [