Advanced Composition: Stance on Trigger Warnings Essay

An Act of Humanity

Empathy and respect are two emotions that serve as the foundation for being “human.” It is crucial to respect the opinions of others, especially in circumstances where they feel threatened or vulnerable. To understand what others are feeling through relating to something that they have experienced is a key tactic to becoming successful in life. Jon Overton claims, “The motivations behind trigger warnings are undoubtedly admirable. They reflect the pinnacle of empathy and compassion,” further demonstrating how these two qualities are essential when considering the safety of students (519). Trigger warnings are important to have in a college or university setting because they highlight the emphatic and accommodating nature of the school, allowing for a safer learning environment and education.

Trigger warnings allow individuals to mentally prepare for any sort of content that could trigger a traumatic instance in someone’s head. As a human, everyone has encountered some sort of nasty experience. Trigger warnings allow for a forewarning of any material that could be covered in a class, resulting in students obtaining an awareness of what content is coming up in the curriculum. To prevent any mental breakdown or panic attack, it is best to warn individuals of any traumatic-related content that could be covered. It is benefitting both the class and the individual by doing so. With a warning, an individual is not surprised or under pressure when the content is put into a classroom setting. The individual has time to comprehend what is coming their way. Some universities also provide the option of copping out of that section of class if the student has a reason. Students should feel safe and comfortable in a classroom setting, a feeling which relates to an aspect of the Humanistic Theory. School should never be a place where people identify as someone in a fearful zone. They should feel as though they have a place of safety that is supportive of their past and still allows for them to learn intensely. Accommodating to people’s needs is one aspect of a college-life that students look for when applying to college. This understanding of feelings accompanied by a respect for the individual allows for a nurturing learning environment- boasting a great amount of success. If an individual feels vulnerable to threatened, the individual’s learning environment and the learning environment of others is tainted. A student should never have to experience what it feels to be “trapped” at school. Wendy Kaminer asserts, “A student who feels threatened by a word, a song or an argument is threatened and deserves protection” (Kaminer 524). A safe environment should be an attainable goal for all. It should be something that colleges strive for to ensure for all their students. Safety should be a type of freedom. Everyone is vulnerable at some point in their lives. Therefore, it is critical that they have a place they can go and feel welcome when they feel unsafe.

One may say that trigger warnings limit the amount of confrontational material that could be covered in classes, and school should be a place to challenge yourself. This may seem true; however, trigger warnings serve as a “heads-up” type of warning. These warnings do not prevent one from learning a concept or going in depth into a subject. It simply forewarns students of the content that they will be looking at in the future with the hopes of them being able to mentally prepare for it. Brianne Richson suggests that the forewarning serves as an indication “when emotionally or physically stressful material would be presented in the class” (514). This warning serves as an act of respect and compassion towards the feelings and past experiences of others. It does not jeopardize the learning environment in classes in any way. Trigger warnings simply allow for an awareness about the future curriculum.

In conclusion, it is important to be respectful and compassionate towards the feelings of others because of the past experiences they could have undergone. Schools are meant to be supportive. So, it is best for everyone to implement trigger warnings into a school’s curriculum. They forewarn individuals of any traumatic content that could be covered. It also allows for students to mentally prepare for how they will react, so they will not be humiliated if the content surprises them, and they react horrifyingly. Trigger warnings do not jeopardize learning or take away from the education of others. They simply allow for an awareness of what content will be covered in the class prior to the classes that start to look at it. Humans have evolved to a state-of-being that is very understanding of others. Therefore, humans should continue acting in a respectful and sympathetic manner. Safety should be a right for all. This ideal of safety can be obtained through an act of accommodating empathy, resulting in the most successful learning environment.  

-Stephanie Sandra