Olivia Petter reacted strongly upon hearing about the recent sexual assault allegations at Cornell University. The familiarity of the details struck a chord with her own past experiences. “The more I learned, the more triggered I felt,” she explained. Petter found the group messages allegedly exchanged among the accused particularly upsetting.
This news prompted recollections from her time at boarding school in England. She described harassment that began when she and her friends were 13. Older boys would pass them and whisper, “Fresh meat,” or rate them out of ten, calling numbers as they walked to the dining hall. Petter also recounted incidents where boys would pull down girls’ trousers in the cafeteria, aiming to humiliate them.
At 17, Petter experienced a troubling event after a party. A boy placed his hand down her pants while she was trying to sleep. She expressed the difficulty in reacting: “Your body goes into panic mode. You freeze, and it takes time to understand what’s happening.” Lacking the terminology at the time, she and her peers struggled to recognize these as instances of sexual assault.
Now 32, Petter has joined others in sharing their experiences online following the Cornell allegations. A former student there, going by Jane Doe, has filed a lawsuit against the university and several former students. She alleges that she was drugged and raped at a fraternity house in October 2024. Some defendants have denied the accusations.
The case has ignited broader discussions on attitudes toward sexual violence. On social media, the hashtag #IamJaneDoe has garnered attention, with many women discussing their experiences with assault.
The impact of such news can be profound. Hannah Braunstein, a psychotherapist in Washington D.C., notes how these stories can trigger intense memories and feelings in survivors. “It’s not just memories that come back,” she said. “People experience physical sensations that transport them back in time.”
Erin Smith, a yoga instructor from Kentucky, experienced an immediate reaction to the news. She described feeling enraged and physically distressed, recalling sensations from her own childhood assault. In response to overwhelming emotions, Braunstein suggests limiting news exposure and staying grounded in the present by focusing on immediate surroundings.
Smith found respite by spending time outdoors, playing with her dog, and engaging in creative pursuits like writing. Despite this, she acknowledges a persistent anger.
Similarly, Petter channels her feelings into writing, aiming to provoke dialogues about sexual assault. She emphasizes the importance of men discussing such issues among themselves and challenging derogatory behavior in their circles.
For many, the case at Cornell resonates deeply. As Smith articulated, “Jane Doe is all of us. We all have a story.”