Olivia Petter, a London-based author, felt a strong resonance when she read about the sexual assault allegations at Cornell University. “The more I found out, the more triggered I became,” she shared. The group messages allegedly exchanged among the boys at the time of the alleged assault reminded her of her experiences during her years at an English boarding school.
There, older boys subjected her and her friends to harassment. “They would walk past us and whisper ‘Fresh meat,’” Petter recounted. “They would rate us out of ten and shout numbers at us as we walked to the dining hall.” She also remembered boys pulling down girls’ trousers while in the lunch line, causing public embarrassment.
When Petter was 17, she experienced a more direct assault. “A boy put his hand down my pants,” she recalled. “I was trying to go to sleep and there was no preamble.” She emphasized the difficulty of fighting back. “You go into a panic mode and freeze, unable to understand what’s happening.” Petter believes the lack of understanding and language made recognizing such assaults difficult during her school and university years.
As a response to the ongoing allegations at Cornell, she joined others sharing their personal stories online. The lawsuit filed by a former Cornell student identified as Jane Doe against the university and several former students has sparked a broader conversation about attitudes toward sexual violence. Jane Doe claims she was drugged and raped at the Chi Phi fraternity house in October 2024. Some involved have denied these allegations.
The news has prompted widespread reactions on social media. Many women use the #IamJaneDoe hashtag to share personal experiences. This case has become national news, with other universities acknowledging similar issues. The editorial board of The Daily Pennsylvanian, a student newspaper, addressed this in their publication.
Hannah Braunstein, a psychotherapist and trauma specialist in Washington D.C., noted the emotional impact such stories can have on survivors of sexual assault. “It can immediately transport them back to their experiences,” she explained. Erin Smith, a yoga instructor from Winchester, Ky., described her visceral reaction upon reading the news. “I felt like a caged animal,” she said, recalling the feelings of being assaulted at age 12.
Braunstein emphasized the emotional toll of constant exposure to such news. “We often seek more information, thinking it will help, but it can have the opposite effect,” she noted. She advised setting a timer for five-minute news checks and using grounding techniques like noticing surroundings to manage overwhelming emotions.
Smith realized the need to step back from social media. Spending time outdoors, with her dog, and playing guitar has helped her. She continues to write about her feelings, channeling her anger constructively.
Petter sees writing as a tool to spark dialogue around sexual assault. “I want to hold to the rage. It helps me engage in these important conversations,” she said. She believes men need to discuss these issues among themselves and confront derogatory behavior.
Smith feels a strong connection to the Cornell case. “Jane Doe represents all survivors,” she remarked. “We each have a story.”