[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier

It's certainly not that I don't recognise it as important, I just find myself strangely juxtaposed when it comes specifically to higher education. To properly and openly teach or study any subject at that level, the flow of information has to be fast and - for want of a better term - free from moral limitations no matter how trivial they may seem. Constantly assessing and second guessing material is a stumbling block... It slows everything down.

Not every subject is suitable for every student, no matter how academically able they are. That just needs to be accepted. There's a reason the dropout rate for med students spikes around the time that they start using real cadavers, for example. In the same way that you wouldn't become a paramedic if you were specifically distressed by blood / death, and you wouldn't become a firefighter if you were afraid of fire.

So if you're studying, say, criminal law you should expect to encounter material related to sexual assault at some point by default. It should simply be obvious that its a possibility / probability. A likewise for most subjects... I sort of feel like the responsibility lies with any potential student to understand the topics they're committing to study before they start? I can't think of really any realistic situation in which someone in an academic subject should be shocked or surprised when uncomfortable material comes up without a specific warning at the time .

Yes exactly.

Also, if a certain subject "triggers" a person i would have thought that exposing yourself to that subject and facing it head on would be the best way to deal with it? Like surely learning how to not become "triggered" is a more healthy option mentally than running and hiding from it?