Not sure I can be too much help here, and this is just my opinion, but I think (in regards to watching TV) you're suffering from a strong case of empathy. Why they even put rape scenes on TV is beyond me. Shock value, I guess. It shouldn't be something that anyone wants to watch, so if it bothers you to the point where you turn it off.... I personally think that's just being a compassionate human who doesn't want to see others get hurt. I don't like watching anything that's too intense. But that's me.
Maybe the past childhood issues are enough to trigger a trauma response. There are no hard and fast rules about what is considered traumatic.
I don't know if that was helpful or not, but I hope you find the answer you're looking for.