Suggestion: Additional Story Warnings

[DragonSilk]

I have at least two fics right now where I really would like to be able to apply a 'Psychological Abuse' warning to them. (One of them really does need it as a warning.) I'm not entirely sure if moderators are able to do this (it would be similar to adding a character to a category, but it's also a change that would affect the entire site), but I thought I might make the suggestion since I know I'd use that warning.

I guess a general 'Abuse' warning wouldn't be uncalled for either. Of course I'm asking specifically for 'Psychological Abuse' since just a general abuse warning would make me think of physical abuse and my fics are strictly psychological.

[Kerrigan Sheehan]

I can do zat!

I've actually done it before, shortly after I got the extended powers to let me add categories and characters. I needed a warning for mild violence. (Akin to what you'd see in, say, a cartoon. Nobody gets seriously hurt, but a fight occurs.) I added yours as "Physical Abuse," "Sexual Abuse," and "Emotional Abuse." That way, they're all separate.

I also added a few more, based on what I've seen from other writing sites and from the ESRB. Who knew my husband's collection of empty and mismatched game boxes would be so useful?

The following is a list of what I've added and how to use each one, plus some justification for why I added some of them. I'm going to add them to this later. (By later I mean after I drink my tea...very serious business, tea...)

Alcohol Abuse - heavy use of alcohol and use of alcohol in otherwise irresponsible or inappropriate situations, such as drunk driving. (I felt it needed to be separate from drug use. ESRB notes the two separately as well.)
Emotional Abuse - verbal abuse, coersion, shaming, or manipulation of someone close to the abuser, such as a child, sibling, partner, student, etc.
Fetish and Paraphilia - abnormal sexual attraction, either to a non-living object (fetish) or to an abnormal or unusual trait or condition. (This would include things like tentacles, feet or shoes, being attracted specifically to amputees or the dead, and a lot of things I really, really don't want to think about while I'm eating lunch...)
Multiple Partners - a story involving a character with more than one sexual partner, either having more than one spouse (polygamy) or having a threesome, foursome, orgy, etc. This is NOT for a story that simply contains more than one couple or an affair.
Physical Abuse - violent actions done to someone close to the abuser, such as a child, sibling, partner, student, etc.
Self-Harm - intentional injury to oneself, either through deliberate actions (cutting, starvation, insertion, mutilation, etc.) or through deliberately risky behaviors (drug use, promiscuous sexual behavior, dangerous thrill-seeking or attention-seeking behaviors, etc.) with the purpose of punishing oneself, releasing anxiety, etc. This is not the same as suicide, but the two warnings can be used together if both apply.
Sexual Abuse - unwanted sexual advances, often systematic, often to someone close to the abuser, such as a child, sibling, partner, student, etc. Can be used with rape warning.
Strong Political Views - extreme, unorthodox, or strongly-defended views, often forced upon others, including modern supremacist (KKK) and fascist (neo-nazi) groups. (I'm not sure how often we'll need this one, but I have a personal need for it for something I have in pre-production involving a dystopian future.)
Strong Religious Views - extreme, unorthodox, or strongly-defended views, sometimes forced upon others, including churches practicing hate speech (Westboro Baptist), religious or political terrorist organizations (Al Qaeda), cults (Manson family, Jonestown), historical religious mania (witch burnings, Spanish Inquisition), etc.

Well...that was depressing...

If there's anything else anyone wants to see a warning for (either because they intend to write about it or because they think there should be a warning for it), just continue the thread. I considered adding one for eating disorders, but I want another opinion on it first.

[aestover]

I'd like to suggest warnings for Pregnancy/Childbirth complications.

[Koneko Mizuki]

I'm not sure if a separate warning should be added for it (or if it would be necessary at all), but could there be a difference between "strong language" and "mild language"? I feel weird marking a story as using "strong language" when throwing around "bitch," "damn," "hell" and the occasional "shit" while there is a lot of words that begin with f and c and t which could be much worse. Besides, "coarse language" and "strong language" is one of the differences between 13+ and 17+. Just wondering, though!

[Kerrigan Sheehan]

We have Blood, Guts, and Gore, which usually covers the squicky bits of that. Is there any particular reason besides blood and guts that you feel that pregnancy warrants a warning?

Part of the reason I ask has to do with the fact that we don't want to have too many super-specific warnings. Another part of the reason I ask is that I've seen a lot of stories involving pregnancy, most of which weren't particularly gory or disturbing.

I have added "Coarse Language" as a warning.

[DragonSilk]

Thanks for the added warnings~!

[CourageAngel]

Thanks for these new story warnings.

[Kerrigan Sheehan]

No problem. If there's one you think we're missing, let us know at any time. (Does anyone feel that eating disorders need a warning? Not really? Just don't show up enough?)

[aestover]

I didn't intend for pregnancy itself to have a warning, but issues with pregnancy (miscarriage and the like) as they are an emotional triggers for some who may have dealt with losing a child or some who have experienced other trauma.

[Kerrigan Sheehan]

My other question is whether or not it comes up on the archive all that often. Give me a few examples of places where

The only time I've ever run into it is in my own stories, where it's probably one of the least disturbing things present. (The story where it's mentioned that a character has had miscarriages in the past also includes graphic torture scenes...hence how it's the least disturbing part...)

[dark_wing19]

I think you should go ahead and add in the eating disorder warning. I haven't read many stories about it, but I have read a few. But sometimes eating disorders could be considered as self-harm. The only real difference would be that eating disorders are the result of a psychological issue.

Still, I don't see any harm in adding it just in case.

[PromisesToKeep]

I noticed the changes a while back (but never figured to come here to figure out how it came about)! Thank you for adding the warnings! ^^

[Kerrigan Sheehan]

It's not a problem. They're actually as simple to add as categories or genres. We don't want too many of them or things that are too specific, but it's not a big deal to add a few.