Censorship

How do you establish when a student is mature enough to deal with certain texts?
I chose to respond to this particular question because I, in fact, posed this question last class period. I wanted to further explore the issue, but do not have any sufficient answers. I found that most of the texts we have read throughout this course are constructed by professionals, teachers, and researchers who believe, without question, that their students are mature enough to handle the majority of the material they discuss. Additionally, some of the writers do not mention specific texts but argue against and for certain issues pertaining to censorship with the assumption that their students are being denied something they can definitely handle (not all of the writers and texts gave off this impression). However, some of the texts I have read in my Adolescents' Literature class this semester would lead me to believe that certain students, at any age (i.e. in regards to secondary schooling - middle and high school), may not be mature enough to handle the content. For instance, we read "American Born Chinese," which I believe is an excellent book that contains value concerning race and identity issues. However, the light-hearted way in which the author handles the content may incite some immature behavior in middle and high schoolers that leads to problems in the educational environment. Furthermore, some students may not be mature enough to handle the hyperbole and irony with which the author addresses certain issues, leading them to believe that the author is encouraging the harassment of certain races, cultures, and anything/anyone that is in some way different from the norm of the environment. Therefore, I believe some of these professionals should use specific examples of texts that are banned and thoroughly justify their position in regards to why that text should be allowed in the classroom, thus giving some substance to relate to the overall argument of the text.