A skirt or jeans. A tank or a tee shirt. “What Were You Wearing” is an art installation featured in the Thigpen Library this week which focuses on spreading awareness about sexual assault. The installation features anonymous stories from sexual assault victims and the type of clothing that they were wearing at the time.
“Rape culture says that what you’re wearing relates to being assaulted,” said Tiffany Zwart, Coordinator of Student Engagement and Support. “When you look at the outfits, it kind of speaks against that and so I think it’s important to us to make sure we’re not victim-blaming.”
Statistics show that sexual assault is especially prevalent on college campuses. According to RAINN, 26.4% of female undergraduate students and 6.8% of male undergraduate students experience rape or sexual assault.
“People don’t want to talk about it because it’s a very sensitive topic but it’s also so prevalent, especially in this age range,” said Tiffany Zwart. “We support all survivors.”
“When things are kept in the dark, that’s where they stay,” said student Mary Franc.
The installation will be up until Friday the 22nd. The Office of Student Engagement and Support offers a variety of referrals for sexual assault victims. If you are struggling, contact student.engagement@volstate.edu.
