While the power of survivor stories is immense, awareness campaigns face a critical ethical dilemma. The line between "raising awareness" and "re-traumatization" is razor thin. The media has a dark history of "trauma porn"—exploiting the worst moments of a survivor’s life for ratings or clicks.

To run an effective and respectful campaign, organizations must adhere to a "Survivor First" protocol:

Different formats serve different purposes in a campaign.

To evaluate the success of survivor stories and campaigns, metrics must move beyond "awareness" (views/shares) to tangible outcomes.