Criminal Justice and Criminology Faculty Use of and Attitudes Towards Trigger Warnings

• In Event: Teaching to Foster Empathy and Understanding

Abstract

In recent years, a vociferous debate has been waged inside and outside academia about the use of trigger warnings in college courses. In spite of this, there has been little systematic study of trigger warnings and college campuses. This study adds to the small body of research on faculty use of and attitudes towards trigger warnings by sharing the results of an anonymous online survey administered to criminal justice and criminology faculty in 2019 spring. For the purposes of the study, trigger warnings were defined as written or oral notifications of course content meant to provide students advance notice of sensitive material that may produce adverse health responses and, therefore, inhibit academic performance. Based on over 700 responses, it appears that use of trigger warnings was widespread, with approximately two-thirds of respondents reporting having used a trigger warning in the past. The most common methods delivering trigger warnings were giving an oral warning before specific content, issuing and oral warning on the first day of class, and having a written statement in the syllabus. Additional analyses will be presented including faculty attitudes towards the use of trigger warnings and how use and attitudes differ by individual, departmental, and institutional-level factors.

Authors

• Alison Cares, Assumption College / Wellesley Centers for Women

• Lisa Growette Bostaph, Boise State University

• Bonnie S. Fisher, University of Cincinnati