Teachers should provide trigger warnings
PRO Ellie Fischman Incoming Opinion Editor ')7.(7 TVMSVMXM^IW MRWXMPPMRK XLI .I[MWL ZEPYIW SJ IQTEXL] ERH KIQMPYX GLEWEHMQ EGXW SJ PSZMRK OMRHRIWW MR MXW WXYHIRXW *VSQ XLI XMQI XLEX - [EW MR IPIQIRXEV] WGLSSP - LEZI HMWXMRGX QIQSVMIW SJ XIEGLIVW MRWXVYGXMRK YW SR [E]W XS FI GSRWGMIRXMSYW SJ XLI TISTPI EVSYRH YW 2S[ - TVSTSWI XLEX .(7 XIEGLIVW XEOI ERSXLIV XERKMFPI action to practice empathy and KIQMPYX GLEWEHMQ According to the Substance %FYWI ERH 1IRXEP ,IEPXL 7IVZMGIW Administration, more than twoXLMVHW SJ GLMPHVIR VITSVXIH EX PIEWX SRI XVEYQEXMG IZIRX F] XLI EKI SJ ÿĄ 8LMW WXEXMWXMG MW SZIV[LIPQMRK %W WXYHIRXW EPXLSYKL [I I\MWX MR ER MWSPEXIH IRZMVSRQIRX JSV ÁZI HE]W E [IIO QER] SJ YW LEZI VIEP PMJI I\TIVMIRGIW XLEX EJJIGX SYV QIRXEP state every day. A trigger warning, which 3\JSVH HIÁRIW EW E WXEXIQIRX EX XLI WXEVX SJ E TMIGI SJ [VMXMRK ZMHIS IXG EPIVXMRK XLEX MX GSRXEMRW TSXIRXMEPP] HMWXVIWWMRK QEXIVMEP MW ER IEW] [E] XS QMXMKEXI XLI TSWWMFMPMX] XLEX E WXYHIRX QE] I\TIVMIRGI E TL]WMGEP VIWTSRWI XS YTWIXXMRK QEXIVMEP
1SWX WXYHIRXW GER MKRSVI E trigger warning. They can shrug it SJJ ERH GSRXMRYI [MXL XLI QEXIVMEP ,S[IZIV JSV WXYHIRXW [MXL TSWX XVEYQEXMG WXVIWW HMWSVHIV 487( SV SXLIV ER\MIX] VIPEXIH HMWSVHIVW triggering topics can induce physiGEP W]QTXSQW PMOI HM^^MRIWW WLSVXRIWW SJ FVIEXL ÂEWLFEGOW XVSYFPIH WPIIT SV TERMG EXXEGOW % WMQTPI trigger warning can give students a GLERGI XS QIRXEPP] TVITEVI XLIQWIPZIW MR SVHIV XS TVIZIRX E PIWWSR JVSQ GEYWMRK XLIWI VIEGXMSRW This isn’t meant to be a copSYX SJ XLI QEXIVMEP -R JEGX MX MW SJXIR GSYRXIVTVSHYGXMZI JSV TISTPI [MXL XVEYQE XS IRXMVIP] EZSMH XSTMGW XLEX VIQMRH XLIQ SJ XLEX XVEYma. However, the trigger warning WLSYPHR¸X FI JSV XLI TYVTSWI SJ avoiding the topic; it is more to give TISTPI XMQI XS QIRXEPP] TVITEVI XLIQWIPZIW %GGSVHMRK XS XLI %QIVMGER 4W]GLSPSKMGEP %WWSGMEXMSR VIQMRHIVW SJ XVEYQE EVI QSVI anxiety-inducing when they occur [MXLSYX [EVRMRK 8LIVIJSVI XVMKKIV [EVRMRKW GER QEOI VIQMRHIVW SJ XVEYQE PIWW ER\MIX] MRHYGMRK *SV MRWXERGI MR SRI GPEWW [I were discussing suicide and the teacher did not provide a trigger warning. For context, I have been HMEKRSWIH [MXL KIRIVEPM^IH ER\MIX] disorder and this topic can be triggering to me. (YVMRK XLMW HMWGYWWMSR - JSYRH Q]WIPJ WXYXXIVMRK IZIV] XMQI - XVMIH XS WTIEO ERH Q] LIEVX [EW TSYRHMRK ;MXL E XVMKKIV [EVRMRK - GSYPH
“Trigger warnings will help the JDS community foster a safer learning environment for students who have mental health conditions. Anxiety can make people feel powerless and trigger warnings help us get that power back.”
LEZI TVITEVIH Q]WIPJ ERH TS[IVIH XLVSYKL FYX - JIPX GSQTPIXIP] FPMRHWMHIH - PIJX XLI GPEWW ERH L]TIVZIRXMPEXIH JSV VSYKLP] ÁZI QMRYXIW FIJSVI - GSYPH VIXYVR - GLSWI to not discuss it with the teacher EJXIV[EVH FIGEYWI - [ERXIH XS EZSMH LEZMRK ERSXLIV ER\MIX] EXXEGO %PXLSYKL XLMW MW Q] TIVWSREP I\TIVMIRGI - XLMRO XLEX SXLIV WXYHIRXW GER VIPEXI %GGSVHMRK XS XLI 2EXMSREP -RWXMXYXI SJ ,IEPXL RIEVP] SRI XLMVH SJ GLMPHVIR EKIW ÿā ÿĆ I\TIVMIRGI ER ER\MIX] HMWSVder. Teachers do not have to TVSZMHI E XVMKKIV [EVRMRK JSV IZIV] TMIGI SJ VIEHMRK QEXIVMEP SV HMWGYWWMSR -X HSIWR¸X LEZI XS FI E PSRK conversation. They can just say, “By XLI [E] XLMW HMWGYWWIW ?VIPIZERX issue] in case that is triggering to ]SY ¶ IWTIGMEPP] JSV QEXIVMEP HMWGYWWMRK XSTMGW PMOI HSQIWXMG EFYWI WYMGMHI WIPJ LEVQ IEXMRK HMWSVHIVW WI\YEP EWWEYPX IXG -X¸W XLEX WMQTPI In the end, trigger warnings [MPP LIPT XLI .(7 GSQQYRMX] JSWXIV E WEJIV PIEVRMRK IRZMVSRQIRX JSV WXYHIRXW [LS LEZI QIRXEP LIEPXL GSRHMXMSRW %R\MIX] GER QEOI TISTPI JIIP TS[IVPIWW ERH XVMKKIV [EVRMRKW LIPT YW KIX XLEX TS[IV FEGO
Should trigger warnings be used in classrooms? Yes No
19.4%% 46.8% 33.9%
I’m not sure
Data from JDS survey of 62 high school students
10
February 2022
