I’m not sure I’d use the phrase “privilege escalation” here, since it has a generally agreed upon meaning. Perhaps something like “gradual access”, “delayed privilege”, or something similar.
I’m not a mod. The complaints I’ve heard from mods have mostly come from image or news communities that are inundated with disturbing images (CSAM, dead bodies). If I were volunteering and I had to look at that shit, I think I’d quit on the spot.
Maybe tooling that addresses those needs would be worthwhile.