The Use of Content Warnings in Veterinary Education; Teaching Staff and Student Perspectives

The use of content warnings (CWs) in higher education has been widely studied and debated, particularly regarding their utility and potential effects on censorship, engagement, and anticipatory anxiety. Although several core learning subjects in veterinary education require engagement with potentially distressing topics, little is known about how CWs are used in veterinary educational establishments (VEEs) or the views of veterinary students or teaching staff towards their use. Further understanding in this area may help inform policy and practice on the use of CWs, specifically in VEEs, with the aim of improving the learning environment, especially around certain distressing topics. To address this gap, preliminary data were gathered using two anonymous online surveys. One survey was distributed to teaching staff at a UK VEE, and the other was distributed to students enrolled in years two to five of the veterinary medicine programme at the same VEE. The responses of 32 academic staff and 168 students were analysed. Most students (79.7%) had experienced a CW during the veterinary program, and 40.6% of staff reported using a CW. Topics most likely to be associated with a CW include animal death, animal abuse, and cadaver use. Students expressed a more favourable opinion of CWs than staff, with 70% of students supporting their use compared with 31% of staff. Across both groups, the most common reason given to support CW use was allowing students time to prepare for potentially distressing content, whilst staff raised concerns around academic freedoms and increased risk of avoidance of certain topics.