April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. The Center for Sexual and Relationship Violence Support Services uses this time to reinforce 91吃瓜网鈥檚 mission to provide a safe and welcoming community for students to share their stories, to provide help and support and to educate the community.
The powerful 鈥淲hat Were You Wearing?鈥� art installation in the Center for Visual Arts on the Kent Campus is more than just clothes. After three years, the installation has grown.
91吃瓜网 faculty, staff, students and community submitted anonymous stories, some including their age, relationship and the time that the assault occurred, along with a description of what they were wearing at the time. The center's staff then takes great care to recreate the outfits and display them with the story.
Jennifer O鈥機onnell, director of the center, said a benefit of the installation for survivors is that it helps remove victim blaming, and it helps them share their stories in an empowering way.
鈥淔or the general community, it shows what someone wears does not cause them to be assaulted. Responsibility lies solely in the other person,鈥� O鈥機onnell said.
The exhibit aims to debunk the common myth that one鈥檚 clothes influence sexual assault.
鈥淚t increases empathy and understanding of the trauma others in our community have experienced, and it helps viewers realize that one does not always know one鈥檚 full story,鈥� O鈥機onnell said. 鈥淏eing understanding and supportive as a university is so important.鈥�
Learn more about the Center for Sexual and Relationship Violence Support Services.
