R-VOICE hosts "What Were You Wearing" event

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Just behind the second floor main doors of the HUB-Robeson Center, the Relationships, Violence Outreach, Intervention, and Community Education (R-VOICE) Center hosted an exhibit titled: “What Were You Wearing”. The exhibit shows the outfits that individuals were wearing during the time they were sexually assaulted.

Sophia Mills, Program Coordinator for R-VOICE, said, “I think this exhibit is incredibly important to showcase that clothing does not equal consent and it's a really visual and physical reminder of what that is by having these recreations of these outfits in a really central location here in the HUB today.”

The powerful exhibit ranged from all ages, mostly college-aged students. However, one point of the exhibit told this story, “I was three years old the first time he raped me. Winnie the Pooh was my favorite show at the time, so I was wearing Winnie the Pooh overalls. He said it was a game and I shouldn’t be scared, but games aren’t supposed to hurt. It continued for years. I thought family was supposed to protect you, not hurt you.”

Anecdotes like these are not unheard of. In over 34% of all childhood sexual assault cases, the perpetrator is a family member of the victim (RAINN.org).

With over 80% of victims knowing their attacker (The Gomez Firm), it was not surprising to read accounts similar to this one, “I was wearing jeans and a classy but appealing top (can’t remember which one). I was rushing a business fraternity, I wanted to look nice. The vice president walked me home, so nice of him. He felt I should provide him some hot chocolate because it was a cold walk, so I did; how could I not? Then he wanted me to provide more, I said no, people stop. He didn’t listen.”

The clothing shown in this exhibit are clothes that almost any student on campus would wear. From a Penn State sweatshirt and jeans all the way to pajamas. “These are all stories from Penn State community members. So it’s really personal to the community here at Penn State. Showcasing that, you know, it's on us to change all of this and to have these conversations and to try to avoid any kind of victim blaming statements, addressing rape, and really just trying to create a healthier community.”

For more information or resources on sexual assault awareness, please visit Victim & Survivor Support & Advocacy | Penn State Student Affairs.

Jennae Overton is a first-year student studying community, environment, development and broadcast journalism. To contact her, email jco5323@psu.edu.