The statistic lands like a punch to the gut: 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men will experience some form of interpersonal violence in their lifetime. We’ve seen the numbers. We’ve scrolled past the infographics. We’ve nodded at the hashtags.
Marcus cried. Then he forwarded the message to his campaign manager with two words: “Keep going.” -PC- RapeLay -240 Mods- - ENG.36
When Marcus finally shared his story with a local support group—and then agreed to share it (anonymously) for a city-wide awareness campaign—something shifted. Not just for him, but for the people watching. The statistic lands like a punch to the
Not a spokesperson. Not a celebrity ambassador. Just a woman named Sarah, sitting on a folding chair in a church basement, hands trembling around a cup of cold coffee, saying: “I didn’t tell anyone for eleven years. I thought if I said it out loud, it would become real.” We’ve nodded at the hashtags
By [Your Name]
The exhibit featured jeans, a police uniform, a child’s pajamas, a wedding dress. “They always ask, ‘What were you wearing?’” says Jenna, one of the contributors. “So we answered. And suddenly, the question became the indictment—not the survivor.” The campaign spread globally because it gave survivors control over their own narrative. No one spoke for them. They spoke as themselves. Founded by survivors of sexual assault in middle and high school, SafeBAE (Safe Before Anyone Else) doesn’t just post statistics about teen dating violence. They produce TikToks written and acted by teen survivors (with trigger warnings and consent forms). They train students to audit their own schools’ consent curricula.