Overprotected

Safe Spaces, Trigger Warnings & Holding Teachers Hostage

The first time I heard someone make a reference to a university's "safe space," I imagined a bunker-style shelter to which students could retreat in the event of a campus lockdown. Instead, it turned out to be a room containing stuffed animals, coloring books, calming music, Play-Doh, and a video of puppies playing. It was the kind of place one would think had been designed for children who had endured trauma. In 2015 Brown University made such a room available as a "safe space" for students who had been psychologically "triggered" by a debate about sexual violence on campus, who felt the debate "invalidated" their personal experiences, and who were "feeling bombarded by a lot of viewpoints that...