Sometimes, our best efforts to help end up causing more harm than good. Such is the case with trigger warnings, which have become commonplace in media and classrooms. Though intended as a trauma-informed practice, recent research suggests that trigger warnings often increase distress rather than reduce it. Instead of preparing individuals for difficult content, they can heighten anxiety before encountering the material. If our goal is to create truly trauma-informed spaces, we need to move beyond trigger warnings and adopt evidence-based practices that promote resilience and engagement.

As the director of interpersonal violence prevention, education, and advocacy at Goshen College and an adjunct professor of sociology, I recognize that almost every conversation I facilitate involves challenging topics — whether sexual or relationship violence, racism, sexism, xenophobia, heterosexism or systemic oppression. While I’m still learning and cannot claim to practice this perfectly, I am committed to following research-backed strategies that empower and honor each person’s agency. 

One common misconception is that trigger warnings and content warnings are the same thing. While similar, they serve different purposes. Trigger warnings are a specific type of content warning, but they go beyond simply informing — they assume distress and often encourage avoidance. While content warnings allow for preparation and choice, trigger warnings can reinforce fear of engagement.

Research shows that trigger warnings do not reduce distress but can increase anticipatory anxiety — the unease a person feels after seeing a trigger warning but before engaging with the content. Trigger warnings encourage avoidance, which may prevent healing. In essence, they create the very distress they aim to prevent, leading to heightened anxiety and disengagement instead of fostering resilience. Avoidance may provide temporary relief, but it does not help individuals develop the coping skills needed to navigate difficult material. If our goal is to create spaces where people can process, learn and heal, we must rethink our approach.

Traditional trigger warnings frame distress as something to be avoided, reinforcing the idea that difficult emotions are inherently harmful. Instead, a trauma-informed approach encourages moving from “trigger” to “activation” — a shift from avoidance to awareness and resilience-building.

Activation is a natural physiological and emotional response to challenging material. Instead of labeling an experience as a “trigger,” we can help individuals recognize when they are activated and approach it with curiosity rather than fear.

When individuals experience activation, they may interpret their reactions as inherently negative and entirely out of their control. Instead, we should encourage curiosity and self-compassion, guiding them to observe their responses as natural rather than bad. Instead of shutting down or disengaging, people can be supported in staying connected in a manageable way. This shift helps normalize emotional responses, reduce anticipatory stress and reinforce the capacity to engage with challenging material in a supportive, trauma-informed way.

Trauma changes how the brain and nervous system respond to stress, sometimes making everyday stimuli feel threatening. This can lead to automatic survival responses — fight, flight, freeze or fawn — long after the initial trauma. The amygdala, which detects threats, becomes overactive, while the prefrontal cortex, responsible for reasoning and emotional regulation, may become less active under stress. The autonomic nervous system (ANS), which regulates these survival responses, can become dysregulated, making it harder for individuals to stay present during difficult discussions. Understanding trauma through a neurobiological lens helps us recognize that trauma responses are automatic and adaptive — not personal failures. Creating trauma-informed spaces means offering regulation tools that help individuals feel safe enough to shift out of survival mode and into engagement.

To achieve this shift, research highlights three key strategies for building trauma-informed spaces. First, resilience-building helps individuals develop coping skills rather than relying on avoidance. Avoidance isn’t a long-term solution. Supporting individuals in building resilience helps them manage distress rather than fear it.

Second, distress tolerance focuses on providing tools for managing reactions. Instead of expecting people to suppress emotions, we should introduce strategies like breathing exercises, movement breaks and sensory grounding. Activation is not a weakness but a manageable response that allows them to work through discomfort rather than fearing it.

Finally, the way we frame discussions influences how people engage. Rather than warning people away from distressing content, we should present it as an opportunity for learning, reflection and empowerment. A trauma-informed approach ensures that individuals can engage with challenging material in a way that promotes growth rather than fear.

If we truly want to create trauma-informed spaces, we must move beyond warnings that encourage avoidance and instead build environments that support engagement, learning and healing. Instead of simply signaling that distressing content exists, let’s equip individuals with the skills to navigate it. Let’s move from passive warnings to active support — from avoiding discomfort to empowering resilience. It’s time to move beyond trigger warnings and build a campus community that fosters healing, learning and connection.

I set out to learn how to be a more trauma-informed educator and colleague. What I found along the way was a sense of freedom and empowerment in navigating my own activation. Now, I am stronger in my ability to recognize, name and move through my trauma responses — and I hope these insights will help you do the same. If you’d like to learn more, scan this QR code for the toolkit I created.

Author’s note: I used AI to assist in editing this piece. All ideas, arguments and conclusions are my own.