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A survivor refers to anyone who has experienced sexual harm, domestic violence, or childhood abuse.
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.
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
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.
Active community members in 2024
New community members in 2024
Content views all time 2
Content views in 2024
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.
Story reactions all time 2
Story reactions in 2024
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.
Survivor milestones achieved in 2024
Grounding exercises completed
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 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.
Survivor stories shared in 2024
Survivor artwork shared
Messages of hope posted
Messages of healing shared
Hover over the map to explore
Country
Stories shared 2
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
State/Territory
Stories shared 2
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
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.
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.
Survivor questions answered all time
Survivor questions answered in 2024
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
Hover over the map to explore
Country
Questions submitted 2
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
State/Territory
Questions submitted 2
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
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.
We define a resource referral as each time a visitor to Our Wave clicks on a link to visit one of our trusted resource partners. These links appear in our Resources hub, in emails that we send to our community, and throughout the navigation of our platform.
Resource referrals all time 2
Resource referrals in 2024
Resource Name
Referrals
Our Wave Survivor Questions & Answers
769
me too. Healing Room
526
Bloom by Chayn
502
me too. Survivor’s Sanctuary
470 +20%
Adult Survivors of Child Abuse
369
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
343
RAINN | National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline
333
After Silence
313
National Domestic Violence Hotline
294
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
234
+22 more
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 Community members are defined by unique IP addresses that visit our Community platform over a given period of time. We periodically clean up our metrics to remove IPs from known scrapers, crawlers, and bots.
4 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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