#WERIDETOGETHER PUBLISHES FIRST PEER-REVIEWED STUDY IN THE JOURNAL OF CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE

#WeRideTogether's first peer-reviewed analysis, based on confidential, anonymous "Survivor Stories" program, elevates survivor voices and informs further research toward prevention education.

WOODSIDE, Calif., June 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- #WeRideTogether, a non-profit whose mission is to prevent abuse in sport through education, awareness, and support resources, has published its first peer-reviewed study. The study, "From Listening to Lasting Change: Athlete-Informed Solutions for Safer Sports Environments," is an analysis of secondary data from #WeRideTogether's "Survivor Stories" program to help inform athletic communities, researchers, safeguarding experts, educators, and community members on what is needed to prevent the abuse of female athletes.

The sample of 16 adult female athlete-survivor stories spanned competitive, recreational, and elite levels across multiple sports and countries. Data from "Survivor Stories" revealed three thematic categories: a lack of understanding of power imbalances, missing nuances within sporting communities, and shortcomings in prevention education.

Throughout the study, athlete-survivor voices provided key insights, such as:

A lack of understanding of power imbalances: "I felt like I couldn't say no … he was the one deciding if I'd make the next team."

Missing the nuances in sporting communities: "Looking back, it was like a cult … You were either in or you're out."

Shortcomings in prevention education: "Maybe if I had had training I would have thought, 'Oh, my God, maybe something's happening to her?'"

"From eliminating stigma to improving access to tangible, athlete-centered resources, athletes deserve access to safe and healthy sporting environments. This study shows that 'Survivor Stories' matter in informing institutional and community responses to misconduct. Trauma-informed, evidence-based prevention education and safeguarding are the best ways to keep our sporting communities abuse-free," says Kathryn McClain, Program and Partnerships Director at #WeRideTogether.

Abuse in sport is widespread – over 50% of athletes experience some form of abuse or misconduct in sport, with 13 to 15 years old being the average age of the first incidence of abuse. #WeRideTogether is dedicated to ending abuse in sport through a variety of methods, including advancing research that supports how academics and educators understand how to build safe, healthy, and sustainable athletic environments.

"Listening to survivors is key – whether it comes from an academic journal or from one individual sharing their own story," says Michaela Callie, Executive Director of #WeRideTogether. "We have a collective responsibility to listen to survivors, inside and outside the world of sports. #WeRideTogether is proud to elevate survivors' voices through this study, and is hopeful that educators, academics, and athletic community members will continue to conduct research into how we can all work to end abuse in sport together."

#WeRideTogether believes there should never be a price tag on safety. For this reason, "From Listening to Lasting Change: Athlete-Informed Solutions for Safer Sports Environments" will remain open-source in the Journal of Child Sexual Abuse in perpetuity – just like #WeRideTogether's other resources and services.

Visit WeRideTogether.today to watch compelling PSAs, find educational tools and resources, and learn how you can help keep sports safe for everyone.

About #WeRideTogether

Founded in 2021, #WeRideTogether started as an awareness campaign and educational website designed to empower, inform, and unite the equestrian community around sexual misconduct prevention and create healthy training environments for all sports. Showcasing powerful first-person interviews from sexual abuse survivors, #WeRideTogether promotes transparent dialogue around sexual misconduct, raises awareness for the many forms grooming and abuse can take, and helps diminish the stigma and fear of coming forward by giving survivors a safe platform to share their voices. The organization has since grown into a 501(c)3 and is creating a blueprint to help make all sports safer for youth, amateur, and professional athletes.

SOURCE WeRideTogether