Why Is this Important? Why Might Warnings Be Beneficial?

In the college classroom, it is important that all students are able to conduct their learning in an environment that is effective and safe. Regarding material, whether that be articles, other readings, video clips, films, etc., that have heavy amounts of racial, domestic, or sexual violence within them, letting your students be aware of this and recognizing that some may not benefit from reading or viewing such subject matter is crucial in maintaining student belonging on campus. Studies show that approximately “one in four undergraduate female students and one in 15 undergraduate male students… ” have been raped or sexually assaulted (Bugeja, 2021). Further reports explain that “Black students continuously experience racism, coping with emotional trauma, increased anxiety and poor mental health outcomes” (Bugeja, 2021). Additionally, recent data indicates that 25% of college students have been treated for or diagnosed with some kind of mental health matter while 73% of students with mental health issues while on campus have endured a mental health crisis (Bugeja, 2021). This is not to say that generalizations and assumptions should be made regarding different populations of students, or that trigger and content warnings are only important for students with specific diagnoses. Try to keep in mind that calling out specific groups of students (e.g., women, etc.) can revictimize and further perpetuate one’s trauma. Although, it is statistics like these that inform us as to why employing teaching and learning strategies that recognizes such truths are important and how ignoring them can lead to inequity for many students.