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Why are books challenged/banned?

Often, challenges are motivated by a desire to protect children from “inappropriate” sexual content or “offensive” language. The following were the top three reasons cited for challenging materials as reported to the Office of Intellectual Freedom:

  1. the material was considered to be "sexually explicit".
  2. the material contained "offensive language"
  3. the materials were "unsuited to any age group"

 

"Banned Book FAQ", American Library Association, October 25, 2016.

http://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/banned-books-qa (Accessed September 6, 2022)

Document ID: 7b34cc98-f94b-466b-80c5-392c3dd04e55