That is such a good point, @imsopopfly. Learning about a Bad Thing from written fiction is literally the least traumatic way to encounter it. Books let you stop in the middle of a page, a paragraph, a word, and don't have the "cannot unsee/unhear" impact of audiovisual media.
The following three problems are ranked from least serious to most serious:
A child reads a book that disturbs them, talks to trusted adults about it, and gets context and helpful coping strategies and recommendations for other books. This is not a problem at all, in fact it's an ideal situation where the child is developing independent reading skills and resilience with help and support.
A child reads a book that disturbs them and feels that they're unable to ask for adult help, even though in general the child is looked after by responsible guardians who care about their physical and mental health. This isn't ideal, but it is probably not going to cause any serious damage.
A child grows up in a high-censorship environment, where books are treated as dangerous and forbidden and their reading choices are sharply circumscribed. As a result, the child is less likely to develop a love of books and critical thinking skills. This is a serious problem.
For a child who is neglected or abused without responsible adults in their life, this is a terrible situation. Restricting a child's reading material is about as helpful in this situation as a concrete life jacket.
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