Many higher education institutions in America have adopted policies regarding trigger warnings. Trigger warnings is a broad term that can be adopted to mean different things for different people. Generally, trigger warnings are supposed to be a warning to students about the content that will be discussed in a reading or lecture due to the sensitive nature of the material. There are many misconceptions about the purpose and use of trigger warnings. It is my personal belief that trigger warnings should be disclosed when sensitive material will be covered in a class. This belief stems from the ideas that all students should feel comfortable in a classroom and should never be caught off guard by a topic that could cause anxiety or mental anguish. Many courses cover sensitive topics; there is no doubt in whether they should be discussed. Professors should actively communicate to students what will be covered in order to allow students to be prepared and make adjustments if necessary.
Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt wrote an article entitled “The
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Manne speaks to the benefit of trigger warnings and even the necessity of their use. Manne explains that it is inevitable that many of her students have experienced some sort of trauma. Students vulnerable to topics presented are able to adequately prepare themselves for a topic when trigger warnings are provided. It is difficult to predict how a student may respond to a sensitive topic. People are always on a recovery journey and people are different places will react in different ways. Very often, if caught off guard a student will be unable to focus, participate, and may even have a severe reaction like a panic attack. This is not a way to facilitate learning. These reactions can all be avoided with a few simple words compiled together to make up a trigger warning (Manne, Why I Use Trigger