What Were You Wearing? Exploring Rape Myth on a University Campus

Early in January 2026, researchers from the Rural, Remote, and Northern Gendered Violence Research Program and the Sexual Violence Education and Prevention Office at Brandon University explored beliefs about clothing and sexual violence. The survey asked victim/survivors what they were wearing at the time the sexual violence occurred. Individuals who reported that they did not experience sexual violence were asked what clothing increases the risk of sexual violence.

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This exhibition is a result of those responses. With the help of local artists: TJ Southam, Renata Truelove, and April Bone, the voices of victim/survivors’ have been turned into visual displays. TJ Southam curated the exhibit to offer a perception of what types of clothing increase the risk of sexual violence and a realistic portrayal of what the respondents were wearing when they were violated. The hope is that through art we can continue to dismantle harmful messaging, foster a culture of support and inclusion, while empowering victim/survivors to share their experience through research.

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As part of this project we are conducting research on people’s responses to the exhibit with pre-post testing. (BUREC Ethics Certificate #23633). Anyone who participates in the research (pre and post testing) will be invited to put their name in a draw for a gift certificate.