I’m sympathetic to people with triggers. Heck, I have a handful of triggers myself! There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t see someone look at me “in a weird way” in my mind, and throw me into a brainstorm of, “why did she do that?” “Is he going to kill me?” Seriously.

Since triggers are everywhere — on television, in real life, and in articles — many news sites have started using trigger warnings when authors discuss “delicate” topics. But does every article that contains possibly trigger-causing content need a disclaimer? I’m not so sure…

I read a lot of feminist blogs and magazines. These news sources always have interesting pieces and include voices of women and men who are passionate and smart. But often — too often — each piece leads off with a:

Trigger Warning

Followed by, “rape, race, violent issues are discussed in this piece.”

At first I was pleased when I saw these warnings. But now I feel like I see these warnings, like, four times a day.

I’m not saying that trigger warnings aren’t useful or needed. There are plenty pieces online that contain incredibly detailed accounts of assault. But now it seems it’s commonplace for a piece to prominently feature a trigger warning if the word “rape” is even mentioned in passing. It seems a bit like overkill.

I think part of the reason I’m so frustrated with trigger warnings lately is because most of my triggers are so difficult to pinpoint. Certain benign phrases can send my brain into a downward spiral of yuck. There’s no way a trigger warning would have even made sense in these scenarios. Also, I feel like so many pieces that are written under the “self help” umbrella can potentially be triggering, too. But does that mean every blog that contains clean eating advice, or a new exercise regimen should come with a big, red, trigger warning? Heck no.

When used properly — and sparsely — I think trigger warnings can do a lot of good and help readers decipher the content they are about to read. But when used too much, these warnings can make everyone — even survivors — eyes roll.

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The post Does Everything Need a Trigger Warning? appeared first on EcoSalon.

ColumnDid a My Little Pony backpack trigger a bully? Did a trigger warning do anything to protect a victim of assault?

A trigger warning usually comes in the form of a parenthetical in a headline or before the meat of a post, and will say something like: Trigger warning, this story mentions—or goes into graphic detail about—rape, abuse, eating disorders, etc.

When I first noticed that popping up I thought, “Oh sure, good on you for responsible journalism.” Then, as I started seeing it in more and more places, I began to think more about what really is a trigger—and what offering a warning actually accomplishes.

Is a trigger warning really helpful for people or is it a new version of victim-blaming mixed with sensationalism?

First, there’s the idea of a trigger. In super-simple terms: It’s something that causes a person to feel something or do something she wouldn’t have had she not been triggered.

My Little Pony Backpack Turns Lovely Kid Into Bully?

In the real world, I do believe accepting the idea of a trigger as an excuse is a dangerous tread into victim-blaming. We saw this play out recently in North Carolina when Grayson Bruce was bullied for carrying a My Little Pony backpack.

The nine-year-old boy was banned from school because his bag, “triggered bullying,” according to school officials.

His awesome mom was quick to comment that that reasoning sounds a lot like, “She was wearing a short skirt; she was asking for it.”

Yes, it’s easy to see why a My Little Pony backpack would inspire so much hate and anger in a child who would otherwise never bully.

I don’t buy it and no one else does either. But, to protect himself and be allowed to return to school, Grayson has started using a different bag.

Trigger Warning Does Nothing to Protect Abuse Victim

The internet exploded this week when readers revolted against a popular column on XOJane.

“It Happened to Me: I Live With My Abuser,” was the first person account of one woman’s lifetime of sexual abuse at the hands of her stepfather. Who she was still forced to share a home with because of financial circumstances.

The post has since been removed from the site, but was originally published with the author’s real name and photo—and a trigger warning.

Maybe that warning stopped someone from reading something that would have been upsetting, but it did nothing to protect the author.

Publishing that piece with her name and photo put that writer in serious danger. Some accuse XOJane of thinking with its clicks, so to speak.

But, I think it was more careless than malicious. People would have read the story regardless.

As a writer, I am 100 percent certain that I think about the byline way more than readers. I have literally had someone send me my own post with an, “I think you’d like this,” note.

This story has a seemingly happy ending. One reader worked with the editors to connect with the writer and then started an Indiegogo fundraising page to help her get the hell out of that house—as of Wednesday, three days after the post went live, it’s up to almost $5,000.

Which could have happened without her identity being revealed.

We can assume the writer knew her photo and name would appear online and that she provided the photo herself. We can’t assume she did (or didn’t) know what the fallout would be and make the choice to take a risk from a place of empowerment.

But, even if she did, at some point, as the person in charge you have to do more than slap a warning label on something and let the chips fall.

I’m not suggesting we do away with trigger warnings. I think they are useful and probably do keep people from stumbling across content that they’d rather not see.

But, we need to realize the actual power, and limits, of a trigger warning. In these cases, a backpack didn’t create a bully, and a warning to readers didn’t save a victim.

That Happened is Libby Lowe’s weekly column for EcoSalon analyzing media, news and pop culture through a feminist lens. Keep in touch with Libby @LibbyLowe.

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Legitimate Rape: Shutting It Down

Image: Karl Herler

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