We know that sharing your story can be an important part of healing. Working with a counselor or trained trauma-informed professional is an important first step, but for some, sharing more publicly is important too.
RAINN is the nation's largest anti-sexual violence organization, and they say that YOUR STORY has the power to radically reshape the world's understanding of sexual violence- and what it means to be a survivor.
Stories Shift Attitudes
When survivors speak out, they chip away at harmful myths—like the idea that sexual violence only happens in dark alleys or that certain behaviors “invite” assault.
Stories Help Keep Others Safer
Knowledge is protection. By sharing your hard-won wisdom—whether it’s about recognizing grooming tactics, understanding consent, or navigating the reporting process—you help educate individuals who may be at risk.
Your story can serve as a guardrail, a lifeline, and a beacon of hope.
Storytelling Promotes Healing
Speaking your truth—on your terms—can be an empowering part of your healing journey. When survivors break the silence, they reinforce the fact that people are so much more than their trauma.
Storytelling allows survivors to reclaim a sense of agency while validating others’ experiences.
Stories Influence Policy and Legislation
Personal stories have even more impact on laws than statistics.
When survivors share their experiences and insights, they provide the human context policymakers need to create stronger, survivor-centered protections and shape systems of effective accountability and justice.
This is an excerpt from an article on RAINN. For more information and for a quick guide on how to share your story, visit RAINN.
If you're interested, we can coach you on what to say. There's a way to share your story without sharing every detail, which avoids retraumatizing yourself and others. We can also coach you to share your story in such a way that honors your experience without necessarily outing the one who caused harm- we can walk you through it!
You can take your story to your family, your community, your church, your dorm, or you can share it with our community here at GFU. We'd gladly honor your story as a feature here on this SAAM website, or on our social media page. If you're interested in sharing or want to learn more, let us know by clicking the button below.