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Impact Reports

2024 Our Wave Impact Report

Overview

In 2024, Our Wave experienced unprecedented growth, more than tripling our community to 158,000 users. This surge in membership reflects a global recognition of the importance of safe, supportive spaces for survivors. Across the platform, survivors found strength in collective healing and connection, underscoring the impact of community-driven support. We also saw a substantial uptick in survivor engagement, as more people felt encouraged to ask questions, share their stories, and lean on one another for hope and solidarity.

Community

158,745

+282% 1

Active community members

Storytelling

527

+55%

Survivor stories shared

Platform Reach

64

+28%

Countries with shared stories2

Milestones

4,516

+69%

Survivor milestones achieved

Achievements

We tripled the number of community members to 158k survivors, allies, and supporters

We tripled the number of questions asked by survivors since launching the Q&A feature in 2023

Our Wave collaborated with NO MORE and Speak Your Truth Today to provide resources for the movie “It Ends With Us”

Thanks to our generous philanthropic partners, we transitioned from a volunteer team to a team with full-time and part-time staff at the end of 2024

Thank you to our partners

Our Community

Our growing community is the beating heart of Our Wave, and 2024 saw it more than triple in size. Every new member brings their own insights, experiences, and compassion, creating a vibrant hub of support across 158,000 users. This expanding network offers a testament to the bonds that form when survivors and allies come together.

158,745

+282%

Active community members

152,628

+273%

New community members in 2024

Our Wave's community growth since our launch in 2019

Community engagement

639,879

+177%

Content views all time2

408,682

+217%

Content views in 2024

What is a view on our platform?

We define a view as a meaningful period in which a user reads or engages with content on our platform, including survivor stories, questions, and resources.

A community of support

6,579

+59%

Story reactions all time2

2,445

+44%

Story reactions in 2024

What is a story reaction?

Story reactions are pre-written messages of support that Our Wave users can send anonymously to survivors who share their story. This allows the community to show support while protecting a safe space for survivors.

Every survivor has a unique journey

4,516

+69%

Survivor milestones achieved

4,822

+116%

Grounding exercises completed

What is a survivor milestone?

Milestones mark the number of times our community has engaged with each survivor's story. Each milestone represents the impact a survivor's story has had on other survivors, allies, and the community as a whole.

Storytelling

Storytelling remains the cornerstone of Our Wave, and 2024 saw a deeper embrace of this healing practice than ever before. Through our partnership with NO MORE and Speak Your Truth Today, survivors were given new platforms to share their stories and raise awareness alongside the powerful narrative of "It Ends With Us". Each personal account underscores the courage it takes to speak out—and the profound sense of validation that resonates with every shared experience.

527

+55%

Survivor stories shared

22

Survivor artwork shared

277

+51%

Messages of Hope shared

316

+57%

Messages of Healing shared

A global community of survivors

Hover over the map to explore

Country

Stories shared2

United States

825 +85%

United Kingdom

79 +61%

Ireland

77 +40%

Canada

40 +54%

Australia

37 +23%

India

15 +25%

Philippines

11

South Africa

11 +175%

Germany

9 +29%

Italy

7 +600%

54 more

64

+28%

Countries with shared stories2

50

+9%

U.S. states & territories with shared stories2

State/Territory

Stories shared2

California

70 +75%

New York

54 +74%

Texas

52 +148%

Florida

49 +58%

Pennsylvania

38 +65%

Minnesota

31 +41%

Ohio

31 +94%

Illinois

25 +56%

New Jersey

24 +60%

North Carolina

22 +144%

40 more

Self-reported identity and experiences from survivors 2,3

Self-reported survivor race

Self-reported survivor gender

What are self-reported survivor metrics?

When a survivor shares their story with our community, they have the option of selecting tags that represent their identity and their story. These include gender, race, location in which the story took place, and their relationship to the offender.

Self-reported sexual orientation

I was...

in School / University

219

in a Public Space

63

Home

561

in a Bar / Restaurant

64

Other

219

at Work

88

Traveling

59

in the Military

19

at Someone Else’s Home

166

Incarcerated

7

at a Social Event

92

in a Service Setting

10

in a Religious Setting

24

Online or in a Digital Space

28

The offender was a...

Non-Romantic Friend

177

Minor

92

Family Member

333

Casual / First Date

72

Acquaintance

200

Colleague

37

Romantic Partner

280

Authority Figure

137

Ex-Partner

62

Stranger

177

Spouse

74

I identify as...

a Person who is neurodivergent

83

a Person with an intellectual or developmental disability

21

a Person with a physical disability

29

a Person who is deaf / hard of hearing

8

an Immigrant

9

a Person who is blind or has a visual impairment

8

a Person with a speech or language impairment

5

When this occurred I also experienced...

Emotional abuse

453

Verbal abuse

277

Physical harm

291

Stalking

118

Human trafficking

36

Financial abuse

153

Messages of hope shared by survivors in 2024

Survivor Questions & Answers

Our Q&A section experienced remarkable growth in 2024, more than tripling the number of questions asked by survivors seeking guidance. From navigating legal processes to understanding emotional triggers, each query represents a step forward in breaking silence and seeking support. By connecting survivors with knowledgeable experts, we empower them to make informed decisions about their healing journeys. This collective learning strengthens our community, ensuring that no question goes unanswered.

360

+368%

Survivor questions answered all time

283

+1,130%

Survivor questions answered in 2024

Trending survivor questions & topic areas

Most read questions

Question

Views

Is it normal to have experienced pleasure during an assault? I think I may have had an orgasm, but I’m not sure. I feel so betrayed by my body. I’m just too embarrassed and ashamed to ask my therapist.

6,785

My girlfriend told me that before she was with me, she was sexually assaulted. How can I help her?

5,591

I was kissed by someone while I was drunk. At the moment, I didn't say no and was into it. However, once the alcohol wore off, I wished it hadn't happened. When I confronted the person and told them they shouldn't have engaged sexually with someone who was drunk and that the only appropriate thing to do with a drunk person is to help them walk or get somewhere safe, they responded by saying that I was the one who approached them repeatedly and didn't let them leave, even tearing up when they tried to go. Does this justify them kissing a drunk person? Does it make them less at fault and me more responsible?

4,943

When I was 8, my 9-year-old cousin convinced me that certain sexually inappropriate behaviors were normal between girls. I don't have many memories of the incidents, but I remember some parts clearly. Months later, she tried to get me to engage in these behaviors with our younger cousin, who was 4 or 5 at the time. Thankfully, our parents found out before anything more serious happened. Most of the family made jokes about the situation, but one aunt kindly explained to me why it was wrong and that children should never touch each other in those ways. The older cousin seems to be doing alright now, but I'm not entirely sure. The younger cousin appears normal on the outside, but she has been pressured to date and refuses. I don't know if this is related to what happened. I hope all three of us can heal from this experience, but I feel incredibly guilty. I keep worrying about what might have happened if our parents hadn't intervened or if something worse occurred that I can't remember. Am I both a victim and a perpetrator in this situation?

4,688

When I was young, my younger sibling who was 6 at the time repeatedly engaged in sexual acts with me over the course of a week. I allowed it to happen because it felt good at the time and I didn't think it was wrong. Does this count as child-on-child sexual abuse (COCSA)?

4,241

278 more

Trending topics

Answering questions asked by survivors across the globe

Hover over the map to explore

Country

Questions submitted2

United States

149 +521%

Kuwait

38

United Kingdom

21

Brazil

19

South Africa

13 +117%

Canada

10

Mexico

9

Australia

6 +200%

India

6 +500%

Ireland

5 +400%

22 more

32

+191%

Countries with submitted questions2

35

+218%

U.S. states & territories with submitted questions2

State/Territory

Questions submitted2

California

17

Texas

11

Alabama

9 +800%

Florida

8 +300%

Pennsylvania

8 +300%

Michigan

6

Colorado

5 +400%

Maryland

5 +400%

North Carolina

5 +67%

Washington

5 +400%

25 more

Select questions submitted by our community in 2024

Survivor Resources

With such a significant increase in community engagement, we intensified our efforts to provide comprehensive, easily accessible resources. From locating mental health professionals to connecting users with crisis hotlines, our referral network has continued to expand and refine over time. By offering these resources in a trusted, digital environment, survivors gain quicker and safer access to the support they need.

What is a resource referral?

We define a resource referral as each time a user visits our resources hub and then clicks on a link to visit one of our trusted resource partners.

References & Considerations

This report encompasses data collected from January 1, 2024 to January 1, 2025.

All stories and messages written by survivors are used with the survivors' permission to publish.

1 Comparison to the same metric during the previous annual report period.

2 Aggregated metrics from the founding of Our Wave in 2019 to the end of 2024.

3 Demographic and tag data from stories submitted directly to the core Our Wave storytelling platform (community.ourwave.org)

Do you have any questions or recommendations about our data? Send us an email at [email protected].

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