Offended by someone’s costume this Halloween? This U.S. university is offering counseling to help you get over it

Halloween is typically viewed as a fun holiday where you can party while dressed up in a costume, and no one’s going to say anything weird about it (usually).

However, one U.S. university is taking it upon itself to advise its students against wearing “offensive” costumes and is also providing counseling services for those “troubled” by others’ choice in costume.

The University of Florida recently posted up an advisory in its newsletter Gator Times, urging them to “think about” their choices of costumes and themes.

“Some Halloween costumes reinforce stereotypes of particular races, genders, cultures, or religions. Regardless of intent, these costumes can perpetuate negative stereotypes, causing harm and offense to groups of people,” it said.

The university also reminded students to be careful of what they post on their social media accounts, as social media posts “can have a long-term impact on your personal and professional reputation”.

For students who find themselves flustered over any Halloween-related incidents, the university is encouraging them to seek out help.

“If you are troubled by an incident that does occur, please know that there are many resources available. Please take advantage of the 7-days-a-week presence of the U Matter, We Care program at the University of Florida by emailing umatter@ufl.edu. Additionally, there is a 24/7 counselor in the Counseling and Wellness Center available to speak by phone.”

Some students, however, see it as a case of being too ‘politically correct’.

Speaking to NBC, a Florida SouthWestern State College (FSW) freshman said: “I don’t really see the point in it. I mean, Halloween is a fun night. What’s there to be offended about?”

Another freshman at FSW agreed: “There are instances where someone does like, cross the line, does something offensive, like racially or sexually, and those are separate instances, but like in general, most people don’t dress up for Halloween in a sense to offend anybody.”

The post came just days after the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse hosted an event in an attempt to educate students about avoiding racist costumes, which was had promotional posters asking “Is Your Costume Racist?”

The student government at Pennsylvania State University also took a crack against costumes depicting cultural appropriation by approving a campaign which uses posters to discourage costumes depicting racial or cultural stereotypes.

Meanwhile, the recent wave of creepy clown incidents sweeping the U.S. and several other countries has schools on defense, as the Connecticut school district has banned students from donning clown costumes for the holiday.

Image via Unsplash

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