In the powerful final episode of The Road Ahead – Survivor-Led Activism and the Fight for Change, the podcast reflects on the progress made in the fight against campus sexual assault while looking ahead to the work that remains. This episode serves as both a conclusion and a call to action, emphasizing the enduring impact of survivor-led activism and the next steps in creating lasting change.

As the series concludes, the message is clear: the fight is far from over. While progress has been made, there is still much work to be done to ensure that all students feel safe and supported. The episode closes with words of encouragement and solidarity, reminding survivors that their voices matter and that change is possible through collective action.

TW: Beyond 1 in 5 wants to acknowledge that this episode contains discussions of sexual assault, particularly in the context of college campuses. Some of the stories shared may be difficult to hear and may be triggering for survivors or those who have experienced trauma. Please take care of yourself while listening. If you need to pause, step away, or skip this episode, that’s okay. You’re not alone, and support is available. If you or someone you know needs help, resources such as RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800-656-HOPE or online at rainn.org are available 24/7.

RESOURCES

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Jaffe, A. E., Cero, I., & DiLillo, D. (2021). The# MeToo movement and perceptions of sexual assault: College students’ recognition of sexual assault experiences over time. Psychology of violence, 11(2), 209.

Larsen, S. (2020). Empowerment after sexual assault (Bachelor's thesis, Høgskulen på Vestlandet)

Lawless, E. J. (2013). Women escaping violence: Empowerment through narrative. University of Missouri Press.

Mueller, A., Wood-Doughty, Z., Amir, S., Dredze, M., & Nobles, A. L. (2021). Demographic representation and collective storytelling in the me too Twitter hashtag activism movement. Proceedings of the ACM on human-computer interaction, 5(CSCW1), 1-28.

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