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Impact Reports

2023 Our Wave Impact Report

Overview

In 2023, Our Wave experienced extraordinary growth, expanding our community to 41,000 users—more than double the previous year. Alongside this surge in membership, the number of messages of hope shared between survivors also more than doubled, illuminating the profound impact of communal support. We took a significant step onto the global stage by launching our first international custom storytelling platform in collaboration with Dublin Rape Crisis Center. This partnership underscores our commitment to breaking down barriers and reaching survivors across cultural and geographic boundaries. As Our Wave continues to grow, we remain dedicated to empowering survivors with every new story, message, and resource.

Community

41,536

+167% 1

Active community members

Storytelling

340

+70%

Survivor stories shared

Platform Reach

50

+22%

Countries with shared stories2

Milestones

2,671

+56%

Survivor milestones achieved

Achievements

We doubled the number of community members to 41k users

We doubled the number of messages of hope shared with the community

Our Wave launched our first international storytelling platform with the Dublin Rape Crisis Center

Thank you to our partners

Our Community

Our community thrived like never before in 2023, with over 41,000 members connecting on the Our Wave platform. Every new user brings fresh perspectives and encouragement, fueling a global network of survivors who uplift each other with messages of hope. Together, we’re proving that collective strength and empathy can spark meaningful change and ignite healing on an ever-widening scale.

41,536

+167%

Active community members

40,969

+168%

New community members in 2023

Our Wave's community growth since our launch in 2019

Community engagement

231,197

+126%

Content views all time2

128,968

+129%

Content views in 2023

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

4,134

+69%

Story reactions all time2

1,695

+70%

Story reactions in 2023

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

2,671

+56%

Survivor milestones achieved

2,234

+50%

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 heartbeat of Our Wave, and this year, our impact reached new international heights through our partnership with the Dublin Rape Crisis Center. This custom storytelling platform offers survivors in Ireland a safe, empowering space to share their experiences and support one another. Each story highlights the universal nature of healing, bridging cultural divides and reminding us that solidarity can be found in every corner of the world.

340

+70%

Survivor stories shared

29

+867%

Survivor artwork shared

184

+102%

Messages of Hope shared

201

+97%

Messages of Healing shared

A global community of survivors

Hover over the map to explore

Country

Stories shared2

United States

445 +79%

Ireland

55

United Kingdom

49 +145%

Australia

30 +76%

Canada

26 +63%

India

12 +100%

Philippines

11 +10%

Germany

7 +250%

Indonesia

5

United Arab Emirates

4 +33%

40 more

50

+22%

Countries with shared stories2

46

+7%

U.S. states & territories with shared stories2

State/Territory

Stories shared2

California

40 +90%

Florida

31 +94%

New York

31 +48%

Pennsylvania

23 +53%

Minnesota

22 +340%

Texas

21 +110%

Illinois

16 +60%

Ohio

16 +45%

New Jersey

15 +88%

Wisconsin

11 +450%

36 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...

at Work

50

Other

181

in a Public Space

12

Traveling

36

Home

320

at a Social Event

68

at Someone Else’s Home

40

in a Bar / Restaurant

42

in School / University

150

Online or in a Digital Space

3

in a Religious Setting

3

in the Military

10

in a Service Setting

2

The offender was a...

Ex-Partner

18

Colleague

14

Romantic Partner

174

Family Member

196

Non-Romantic Friend

115

Authority Figure

86

Acquaintance

143

Stranger

121

Casual / First Date

47

Minor

14

Spouse

16

I identify as...

a Person with an intellectual or developmental disability

3

a Person who is neurodivergent

20

a Person with a physical disability

9

an Immigrant

1

When this occurred I also experienced...

Physical harm

72

Emotional abuse

119

Financial abuse

41

Human trafficking

10

Stalking

20

Verbal abuse

38

Messages of hope shared by survivors in 2023

Survivor Questions & Answers

The survivor Q&A feature continued to be a cornerstone of support, meeting the diverse and growing needs of our 41,000-strong community. As more users engaged, we expanded our panel of experts to address an even broader spectrum of questions about emotional well-being, legal rights, and advocacy. This interactive space cultivates knowledge-sharing and reassurance, ensuring that survivors receive timely, compassionate responses that guide them forward on their unique healing journeys.

77

+43%

Survivor questions answered all time

23

Survivor questions answered in 2023

Answering questions asked by survivors across the globe

Hover over the map to explore

Country

Questions submitted2

United States

24 +243%

South Africa

6 +20%

Australia

2

Philippines

2

Bahrain

1

Denmark

1

Greece

1

Ireland

1

India

1

Pakistan

1

1 more

11

+38%

Countries with submitted questions2

11

+120%

U.S. states & territories with submitted questions2

State/Territory

Questions submitted2

North Carolina

3

Wisconsin

3

Florida

2 +100%

Pennsylvania

2

Alabama

1

Colorado

1

Maryland

1

New York

1

Rhode Island

1

South Dakota

1

1 more

Survivor Resources

With our global user base growing, providing accurate and culturally relevant resources has never been more important. Our Wave’s partnerships with trusted organizations—now including the Dublin Rape Crisis Center—connect survivors to specialized care and expertise. Whether seeking emotional support, legal counsel, or therapeutic services, survivors can access a comprehensive list of referrals tailored to their local context. Through these collaborations, we strengthen our commitment to accessible, high-quality support for everyone who relies on Our Wave.

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, 2023 to January 1, 2024.

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 2023.

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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