Breaking New Ground in Survivor Support: Our Wave's 2024 Impact Report
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Breaking New Ground in Survivor Support: Our Wave's 2024 Impact Report
Volunteer
Support Us
Breaking New Ground in Survivor Support: Our Wave's 2024 Impact Report
Volunteer
Support Us
Made with in Raleigh, NC
© Our Wave 2025. All rights reserved.
In 2021, Our Wave expanded its global footprint, reaching survivors in over 20 countries for the very first time. This growth was fueled by new features on our platform, including a dedicated survivor Q&A section and the ability for individuals to update their stories over time. We also focused on breaking language barriers by translating our site into Spanish, welcoming an even broader community of survivors and allies. These milestones underscore our commitment to building a truly inclusive, worldwide platform for healing. As Our Wave continues to evolve, we remain steadfast in our mission to uplift survivor voices and foster hope for all.
Active community members
Survivor stories shared
Countries with shared stories2
Survivor milestones achieved
We expanded our reach to survivors in 20 countries
We launched our survivor questions & answers feature
We rolled out survivor milestones
We rolled out the ability for survivors to share story updates
We launched the Our Wave platform in Spanish
Our community blossomed into a diverse, international network in 2021, uniting survivors and supporters across 20 countries. This expanded reach highlighted how empathy and understanding transcend borders, language, and culture. By offering a safe online space for shared experiences, Our Wave helped survivors discover they are never alone in their healing journey.
Active community members
New community members in 2021
Content views all time2
Content views in 2021
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 time2
Story reactions in 2021
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
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 remained central to Our Wave’s work, with the rollout of a new feature that lets survivors update their stories. This continuous sharing underscores that healing is an evolving process, and every step forward is worth acknowledging and celebrating. With our platform now available in Spanish, more survivors worldwide can share their truths and inspire others in their native language.
Survivor stories shared
Survivor artwork shared
Messages of Hope shared
Messages of Healing shared
Hover over the map to explore
Country
Stories shared2
United States
122 +61%
Australia
10
United Kingdom
9
Philippines
6
India
5
Canada
4
United Arab Emirates
3
New Zealand
3
Austria
2
Bangladesh
2
10 more
Countries with shared stories2
U.S. states & territories with shared stories2
State/Territory
Stories shared2
New York
18
California
11
Pennsylvania
10 +900%
New Jersey
8
Ohio
5
Illinois
4
Maryland
4
Virginia
4
Connecticut
3
Michigan
3
21 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.
at Work
16Home
95in School / University
85Traveling
10at a Social Event
31Other
79in a Bar / Restaurant
25in the Military
7Stranger
46Family Member
61Acquaintance
59Authority Figure
28Romantic Partner
72Casual / First Date
19Non-Romantic Friend
42We officially launched our survivor Q&A section in 2021, providing a direct link between survivors and knowledgeable experts. This feature allows individuals to ask questions about healing, legal issues, and emotional support in a secure, empathetic environment. Each response offers clarity and guidance that benefits not just the person asking, but everyone who might face similar challenges.
Survivor questions answered all time
Survivor questions answered in 2021
Question
Views
I got assaulted, but I don’t really feel anything...is something wrong with me?
3,262
Can you talk about sexting coercion?
1,296
I don’t talk about my assault to my therapist because I’m scared to relive it, how do I move on?
905
How do I know if my experience counts as sexual assault?
879
I have a hard time with touch due to sexual trauma in my childhood, but I Have two kids who are always touching me. Is there a way to cope with all of that touching?
864
16 more
Hover over the map to explore
Country
Questions submitted2
United States
21
Countries with submitted questions2
U.S. states & territories with submitted questions2
State/Territory
Questions submitted2
North Carolina
21
This report encompasses data collected from January 1, 2021 to January 1, 2022.
All stories and messages written by survivors are used with the survivors' permission to publish.
We made significant changes to our metrics reporting processes from 2019 to 2022. Because of these changes, some metrics may contain inaccuracies when compared to later years.
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 2021.
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].
Our Wave depends on your generous contributions for our continued success. Donate today and support us as we work to support survivors of sexual harm.
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Our Wave is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and an anonymous service. For additional resources, visit the RAINN website. If this is an emergency, please contact your local emergency service.
