Recently, it has come to my attention that there is some controversy over "trigger warnings," or the lack thereof. As most of you know, there is nothing in our rules that applies to trigger warnings. We do not require them in our MA stories because, as the rating implies, anything goes. In addition, we have so many other seemingly nit-picky rules regarding the ratings that trigger warnings just always seemed like a step too far into micromanagement.

There are as many schools of thought regarding the inclusion of trigger warnings as there are regarding their exclusion. A cursory Google search turned up these two articles, illustrating both sides of the issue from a college-life perspective:

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/20/opinion/sunday/why-i-use-trigger-warnings.html?_r=0

http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2015/09/the-coddling-of-the-american-mind/399356/

I see both sides of this issue. I can well understand the absolute need for some of us to avoid certain topics as detrimental to our health and well-being. I can also understand the mindset that says that real life is not going to kowtow to these needs at all times. What I would ask of our members, though, is that they be polite and sensitive to each others' opinions on the subject.

Please do not PM authors demanding that they include trigger warnings. A better way to approach a favorite author who hasn't used them would be to explain one's need for such, and to respectfully ask that they consider including them in the next story. Just know that it is not a requirement here on Dokuga and that any MA story you read may contain triggers without such warnings.

Authors, when approached by someone asking for trigger warnings, please try to keep their needs in mind and respond in a compassionate fashion. If you don't want to include such warnings, then don't, but please explain your decision in a thoughtful manner rather than become offended by the request. If you decide to include such warnings, then that is your prerogative and I seriously doubt any would condemn you for it.

All I'm asking is that we discuss the issue with the kindness and consideration for others that (I hope) is a hallmark of our community.

Thank you all for your cooperation!

~~Wiccan~~

Hairann wrote:
First link doesn't work hun. Links back to a page in Dokuga.

Thanks for the head's up!! I have no idea why it didn't work, but I think it's fixed now.

~~me~~

First link doesn't work hun. Links back to a page in Dokuga.

I've read the articles, and I can see many of the points. And putting trigger warnings for everything would be exhausting and absolutely nuts.

However, I can see putting in a disclaimer if you've written about illegal behavior and you don't make it clear in the story that it's wrong, since by not acknowledging it's illegality you run the risk of socially legitimizing it. Case in point, the old 'bodice rippers'.

In the seventies through the eighties, the romance book industry pushed writers to incorporate rape in their novels if they wanted to be published. This gave birth to novels that espoused women being raped and later falling in love with their rapist, set in a "remote historical setting allowing women to enjoy the rape fantasy from a safe distance." That quote's out of official documents after the whistle was blown on the publishing houses.

The biggest problem is that the books never stated they were rape fantasies, and so we had almost twenty years of women's fiction espousing date rape. It became almost impossible to prosecute for date rape during this time unless you got beat up as well, thanks in large part to these novels. People reading them, especially young people, assumed that that since these stories were so prolific, it was true that they didn't have the right to object to being forced into sex. Finally in the eighties we finally got the right to expect proper behavior in the workplace, and these novels were officially stopped. However, the terminology was simply changed, and now we have so-called non-con in paranormal romances.

Many young people now believe it doesn't matter that they said no, or were drunk, or were impaired, if they eventually enjoy the act. They think that their spouse or significant other has the right to have sex with them even if they themselves don't want to, or that if they find a guy attractive they can't complain about being maneuvered into a sexual contact. And they believe all this because the romance book industry made rape socially acceptable.

This is a huge problem to this day... current statistics say that over a third of Americans have been sexually assaulted at some point in their life. Date rape is the biggest sexual crime, and is also the least reported. That's why the It's On Us movement has begun (itsonus.org). This movement states that it is up to each and every individual to recognize that non-consensual sex is sexual assault, to identify situations in which sexual assault may occur, to intervene in situations where consent has not or cannot be given, and to create an environment in which sexual assault is unacceptable and survivors are supported.

I don't mean to say sexual assault is the only thing that should be labeled, or that the disclaimer has to be huge or complicated. Just, if you don't make it clear in the story that the behavior is illegal, put in a tagline that the story contains illegal behavior. Sweet, simple, and socially responsible.