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.
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Content: In 2019, the ALA recorded 377 reported book challenges in the United States, an 8.6% increase from the 347 reported challenges in 2018. [ 22] [ 26] In most years, about 10% of the reported challenges result in removal or ban from the school or library. However, in 2016, five of the top ten most challenged books were removed. The ALA estimates that only about 3% to 18% of challenges are reported to its Office for Intellectual Freedom, meaning that the actual number of attempts to ban books is likely much higher. [ 1] [ 24]
Challenges are most frequently brought by patrons (33%), followed by parents (32%), a board or administration (13%), librarians or teachers (10%), political and religious groups (6%), elected officials (3%), and students (3%). [ 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.