Guide: Leveraging Survivor Stories in Awareness Campaigns
Long-form Video (YouTube/Documentary)
Pre-roll: 10-second graphic card: "The following contains discussion of trauma. Viewer discretion advised."
Post-roll: 2 minutes of "Where to get help" and a breathing exercise.
10. Example: Good vs. Bad Headlines
| Bad (Exploitative) | Good (Empowering) |
| :--- | :--- |
| "I was beaten daily until I fled." | "How I rebuilt my life after escaping abuse." |
| "The rape that changed everything." | "The law that finally held my perpetrator accountable." |
| "Shocking testimony inside." | "Survivor-led solutions to end the crisis." |
8. Red Lines (Never Cross)
Never share a story without written consent for that specific use case.
Never contact a survivor's employer, family, or abuser for "verification."
Never use a survivor story to fundraise without the survivor knowing how their image is used (e.g., "Your face will be on a billboard").