Arguments Against Trigger Warning

Words: 594
Pages: 3

The subject of trigger warning is a very controversial one in the academic environment, when not pitting faculty against students, it is students against other students. Before proceeding any further, what is a trigger warning? Trigger warning is stated as explicit alerts that the material they are about to read or see in a classroom might upset them or, as some students assert, cause symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder in victims of rape or in war veterans (“Warning: The Literary Canon Could Make Students Squirm”, 2014). It could also be said to be a “heads up” that the material about to be seen might contain content that may offend some people especially those that have previously experienced related trauma. The main arguments that have been given against trigger warning are, trigger warnings have no place in the academic environment, where students are to be challenged and not pampered or that it limits free speech and inquiry. Trigger warnings, they say, suggests a certain fragility of mind that higher learning is meant to challenge, not embrace (“Warning: The …show more content…
The above is an excerpt from an email sent from the faculty senate at American University on the use of trigger warnings. This assertion could be said to be wrong as trigger warnings in no way alter the content of a material rather it is a pre-emptive warning. If anything it promotes a learning environment where students feel safe and not stigmatised, it opens up and improves correspondence amongst students and educators, especially those who have had some sort of traumatic experience. In the long run the fear of being triggered will be substantially