Survivor Art Installation displayed at the Library on the Edinburg campus. Celeste Cruz / Vaquero Radio
The Office for Advocacy and Violence Prevention displayed “What were you wearing?” survivor display on the Edinburg campus library to bring awareness about sexual assault.
The first university to display the exhibit was the University of Arkansas, the campus created the installation due to a poem by Mary Simmerling named “what were you wearing”.
The poem’s purpose was to help the community understand that sexual assault goes beyond what the victims wear.
Cynthia Jones, director of the Office for Advocacy and Violence Prevention, said the purpose behind the exhibit was to draw attention to myths and stereotypes about sexual assault.
“But when you hear someone is assaulted you wonder, well ‘where were they?’ ‘what were they doing?’ and ‘were they drinking and what were they wearing?’,” Jones said. “The idea is to raise awareness … first of all and the overall majority of people that are sexually assaulted had nothing to do with what they were wearing or where they were.”
Clothes such as army fatigues, prom dress, shorts and T-shirts are shown in glass cases. The items displayed are not from actual victims, but match what survivors had described.
Jones said 94% of the cases reported by college aged women state that the perpetrators are people they know.
“We need to understand that there are some bad people in the world and they take advantage of situations,” she said.
Jones shared advice for people who have been assaulted and who are struggling to reach out for help.
“If you have this happened to you, or if it happened to somebody you know, be patient with yourself , be patient with your friend… realize that most people when they reach out, reach out to someone they know first and not an office like mine… Regardless of the situation don’t judge and mention them about resources.”
The services offered by the Office for Advocacy and Violence Prevention are free and confidential.
This is Celeste Cruz for Vaquero Radio.
