Trigger warnings: a how to guide
Posted: Fri Jan 24, 2014 11:15 am
Trigger warnings: they’re darn useful. At least, they are when they’re used correctly. This is a quick guide to what to warn for and how to warn. I’ve used the topic of ‘adorable bunnies’ as a stand-in for triggering topics where I can, to try and avoid people having to read a triggering word over and over again.
What should I warn for?
There’s no hard and fast rule here, I’m afraid. A few topics should always be warned for: rape, suicide, and the use of slurs being prime examples. As a guide, if you think that the topic is likely to cause upset or trigger someone, please warn. Trigger warnings allow people to take control and to decide for themselves what they do and don’t want to see. Covering up triggering topics makes this a safer space for those with triggers.
While I encourage you to err on the side of caution with your trigger warnings, there are some things you don’t need to warn for. You don’t need to trigger warn for use of a word, and you shouldn’t cover up only one word (unless said word is a slur. But really, do you ABSOLUTELY HAVE to include it then?). You do need to warn for a description, or lengthy discussion. So you don’t need to cover up a mention of adorable bunnies, but if you’re talking about their fuzzy tails and how soft their ears are, you do.
How should I warn?
There are four golden rules here:
1) Describe what’s behind the warning. Don’t just cover things up – say what you’re covering.
2) Don’t just cover one or two words. This is rarely useful. Either cover the whole discussion, or, if you’re just mentioning adorable bunnies, don’t cover it at all.
3) If your whole thread is about a subject, note that in the thread title. This allows people to avoid a thread hopping with adorable bunnies, and avoids people in the thread having to cover essentially everything.
4) Don’t use abbreviations in your warnings. Not everyone knows AB stands for adorable bunnies!
5) Bear in mind different threads will have slightly different standards. In the thread about adorable bunnies, you don’t need to warn for a description of their cute little toes. In a thread about phobias of small adorable animals, you definitely do. Be sensitive to context.
Ideally, trigger warnings should be formatted like this:
(TW: adorable bunnies) My friend owns some adorable bunnies, and they fill me with joy! They have long soft fur and little wiggly noses, and love cuddles.
Here, we’ve got a clear description of what’s behind the warning, and all the information about that triggering subject is hidden.
If you make a post and realize that it needed warnings, or see a post that needs them, please report it. A second ‘how to’ post on reports is coming soon!
If you have any questions about trigger warnings, please feel free to ask us in this thread. Lots of other people will probably be wondering too, and this way we can build a resource thread if anyone has questions in the future.
Also, have an adorable bunny:
What should I warn for?
There’s no hard and fast rule here, I’m afraid. A few topics should always be warned for: rape, suicide, and the use of slurs being prime examples. As a guide, if you think that the topic is likely to cause upset or trigger someone, please warn. Trigger warnings allow people to take control and to decide for themselves what they do and don’t want to see. Covering up triggering topics makes this a safer space for those with triggers.
While I encourage you to err on the side of caution with your trigger warnings, there are some things you don’t need to warn for. You don’t need to trigger warn for use of a word, and you shouldn’t cover up only one word (unless said word is a slur. But really, do you ABSOLUTELY HAVE to include it then?). You do need to warn for a description, or lengthy discussion. So you don’t need to cover up a mention of adorable bunnies, but if you’re talking about their fuzzy tails and how soft their ears are, you do.
How should I warn?
There are four golden rules here:
1) Describe what’s behind the warning. Don’t just cover things up – say what you’re covering.
2) Don’t just cover one or two words. This is rarely useful. Either cover the whole discussion, or, if you’re just mentioning adorable bunnies, don’t cover it at all.
3) If your whole thread is about a subject, note that in the thread title. This allows people to avoid a thread hopping with adorable bunnies, and avoids people in the thread having to cover essentially everything.
4) Don’t use abbreviations in your warnings. Not everyone knows AB stands for adorable bunnies!
5) Bear in mind different threads will have slightly different standards. In the thread about adorable bunnies, you don’t need to warn for a description of their cute little toes. In a thread about phobias of small adorable animals, you definitely do. Be sensitive to context.
Ideally, trigger warnings should be formatted like this:
(TW: adorable bunnies) My friend owns some adorable bunnies, and they fill me with joy! They have long soft fur and little wiggly noses, and love cuddles.
Here, we’ve got a clear description of what’s behind the warning, and all the information about that triggering subject is hidden.
If you make a post and realize that it needed warnings, or see a post that needs them, please report it. A second ‘how to’ post on reports is coming soon!
If you have any questions about trigger warnings, please feel free to ask us in this thread. Lots of other people will probably be wondering too, and this way we can build a resource thread if anyone has questions in the future.
Also, have an adorable bunny: