Psychological triggers are words, images or sounds that activate phobias, panic attacks or flashbacks to unpleasant events or trauma. The concept of triggering originated with early psychoanalytical diagnoses of posttraumatic stress disorder, called “war neuroses,” in WWI veterans. News reports covering sensitive topics, such as abuse, assault, addiction, suicide, combat and violence, frequently contain descriptive scenarios that can deeply effect audiences. People with certain mental illnesses and phobias may find content shocking if it unexpectedly sparks unpleasant memories. Trigger warnings communicate that upcoming content may produce unpredictable and unwelcome reactions for some readers. They give audiences a choice in whether or not to proceed with consuming the information. However, some readers object to trigger warnings and view them as patronizing and stifling to academic freedom.
If you’re an educator, consider alerting students ahead of time if content contains graphic descriptions of traumatic events. It also may be appropriate to include such warnings in material for broadcast or digital distribution. Triggers can be hard to predict and vary from individual to individual, but communicating the nature of your content builds trust in audiences. Don’t use the term “trigger warning” in a flip or casual way.
