Trigger Warnings

Pulling the Trigger: A Systematic Literature Review of Trigger Warnings as a Strategy for Reducing Traumatization in Higher Education

“…Equally, three studies cite trigger warnings as contributing to trauma. Seven studies report that trigger warnings may designate certain content or experiences as affectively dangerous, providing students with the opportunity to opt out in an attempt to avoid exposure or offense to sensitive material, potentially leading to poorer mental health outcomes (Byron, 2017; Crumpton, 2017; Dickman-Burnett & Geaman, 2019; Forstie, 2016; Morris, 2015; Robbins, 2016; Tsesis, 2016). According to Robbins (2016), trigger warnings encourage students to think of themselves as vulnerable or fragile, which may reinforce experiences of trauma and perpetuate a sense of victimhood that can have serious implications for an individual’s mental health.…”

“…In the context of higher education, trigger warnings fit into the discourses of inclusivity and student support (Forstie, 2016). Of the 20 articles reviewed, eight studies reflected connections between trigger warnings and inclusive teaching and learning practices (Boysen, 2017; Brunila & Rossi, 2018; Byron, 2017; Forstie, 2016; George & Hovey, 2020; Kafer, 2016; Spencer & Kulbaga, 2018; Wyatt, 2016). According to Spencer and Kulbaga (2018), the university student demographic has diversified, resulting in an increased need for the use of trigger warnings.…”

“…Of the 20 articles reviewed, 10 report positive impacts associated with the use of trigger warnings as part of trauma-informed pedagogy (Beverly et al, 2018; Byron, 2017; Crumpton, 2017; Flintoft & Bollinger, 2016; Forstie, 2016; George & Hovey, 2020; Kafer, 2016; Morris, 2015; Spencer & Kulbaga, 2018; Wyatt, 2016). Adopting a “trigger-warned syllabus,” which demonstrates pedagogical sensitivity and which employs positive pedagogical values, allows students to engage in affectively productive ways and to protect themselves from alienating traumatic experiences (Crumpton, 2017; Forstie, 2016; George & Hovey, 2020). This finding is supported by other studies that recommend educators acknowledge and accommodate students affected by trauma by using pedagogical approaches grounded in an ethics of care.…”

“…This finding is supported by other studies that recommend educators acknowledge and accommodate students affected by trauma by using pedagogical approaches grounded in an ethics of care. Doing so empowers students to share what they need, thus creating an educational environment fostering in-depth engagement and deep learning (Byron, 2017; Flintoft & Bollinger, 2016; Forstie, 2016). Furthermore, Crumpton (2017) suggests that instructors reframe general understandings of trigger warnings to consider how they can be used to best support educators in taking seriously the vulnerability of students who have experienced trauma.…”

“Karenism” and the Problem of White Women: Reflections on Quotidian Forms of White Vigilantism in the Classroom

“…For these scholars, trigger warnings fetishize safety and promote paternalistic modes of protection. As Halberstam observes, trigger warnings promote a particular orientation to the world (and the classroom), what Cooper (2014) describes as “the desire for endless comfort.” Others contend that critics of trigger warnings, including some queer theorists, tend to frame student fragility as indicative of a generational divide; they note that these pedagogical protocols are envisioned as “a tactic that is at once too feminist and not adequately queer” (Forstie, 2016, p. 428).…”