Update regarding the new trigger warning guidelines
Hello everyone,
On October 6th, I posted the results of the surveys regarding trigger warnings and announced the new guidelines (link). As a recap, the preferred term was "trigger warning" and these are the guidelines:
1. The warning should always be followed by a short description of the topic (e.g. “Trigger Warning: Domestic Abuse).
2. During discussions, the triggering content can't directly follow the warning. Instead, there should be a short break and if someone doesn't want to be confronted with this topic, there should be an agreement on how long the topic will be discussed so that the person can leave and join again afterwards. Also, there should be trigger topic free discussions.
3. Even if you’ve put a trigger warning in front of your text, you’re not allowed to discuss traumatic experiences in detail or graphically. Try to focus on how it affected you instead.
Here's a document that includes a list of all the topics that should have put a trigger warning in front of them. You can find it here.
As I've
got some feedback, I want to announce and clarify the following points:
- The term is less important than the guidelines. If you don't feel comfortable at all with the term "trigger warning", use a different one but try to follow the guidelines.
- I'm working on introducing a discussion specifically for trigger topics for people who are more stable and wish to talk about experiences that might be triggering to others without having to put a trigger warning in front of it. If you want to support that, please consider joining the discussion hosting team here.
- In December, we'll do another survey to evaluate if the guidelines have improved or worsened the trauma support forum and group support chats.
- These guidelines are community-specific - they only apply to the trauma support community., meaning that they are not sitewide.
- If you have feedback, concerns, or constructive criticism, please use this form.
I hope,
this helps and I continue to be open to new ideas. Thank you for your support.
Take care,
audienta
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@audienta. Hi Are these topics that need a TW for trauma discussion or discussions in any room?
It's only affecting any discussions and open chats in the trauma support room and posts in the trauma support forum.
@audienta thanks 🙏
@adventurousBranch3786, While this here is specific to the trauma support community, it seems like these may be wise guidelines to follow *anywhere* on 7cups, or IRL for that matter - text based I guess.
I was thinking specifically about Sharing Circles in the group chat here at 7cups. I mean I hope we are not going around *trying* to trigger others, but I do agree that it is very hard to know what might be triggering for someone else.
@audienta, Thank you so much for your work on all of this! Sometimes just the trigger warning can be triggering for some people; but like you said, each of us are in a different part of the journey back to health (away from trauma? or out of? or past it?). The more we can support one another - even (or perhaps especially) those who are also working out personal traumas in life - the better for all of us, no? I'm not sure if that is very clear :( I just meant that I'm thankful to you for working on this trigger warning stuff - verbiage or wording, how and when to add trigger or content warning ... and that if we can work together on those things, I think we who are wounded or have triggering things to talk about can help one another in so many ways!
It is not always clean or fun or pleasant... even within my own shares. But I hope that (for myself) and almost even more so (for someone else), that sharing my hard things might be helpful. I continue to wait for the day(s) when someone will respond to me that my lived-through hard experience has helped him/her in his/her life in some way that I never expected.
And perhaps that led the other person:
to ask for help,
to find a counselor,
to decide that his/her own experience is/was NOT normal and needs to be talked about.
@Trauma support community - All - We've lived through hard stuff. LOTS of it. Too much. We are all on the road to or back to a more healthy life/relationships. The more we can help one another along the way, the better. @GlenM @Laura @Kate @Heather225
I know this because I also know that I, Platy, cannot do this (life) on my own. I need help. Thank you to those who have helped me in the past. Thank you to those who are here now and will be here to continue assisting me and guiding me along now and in the future. @7cupsCommunity
With sincere affection and appreciation of you, <3 Platy
(October 25, 2023 It's almost my cupsiversary! Nov 1st!)
@cyanPlatypus6370
Hey Platy,
Thank you for your kind and helpful message. I agree that it's recommendable to use these guidelines everywhere. And yes, it's hard to do the right thing that's helpful for everyone - I think it's impossible in such a large group. But the will to come as near to perfection and full inclusivity is there and I'm always happy to hear from people like you who try to be supportive of other while not forgetting their own needs. I'm glad that you know that you need help and I hope that you'll find it.
Take care,
audienta
@cyanPlatypus6370
Thanks for the tag.
We are so proud of you, Platy. Happy Cupversary to you, you've been a wonderful presence around and we are so grateful 7 cups has supported you in some way. Keep it up. ❤
