Welcome to Right To Be's Storytelling Platform
Right To Be's storytelling platform is a safe space where you can share your harassment story, get support, and help others experiencing harassment. Sharing your story contributes to the collective building of a better world where everyone has the Right To Be who they are, wherever they are.
About the platform
Right To Be started collecting stories of harassment in 2005 following the story of a woman named Thao Nguyen who bravely stood up to someone who harassed her. Learn more about who we are here and our history here.
In 2016, Right To Be launched HeartMob, a platform where people experiencing online abuse could share their stories and receive support from a community of bystanders. We have integrated our storytelling platform and our online harassment initiative so people can share all types of harassment stories and find the support they need in one place.
Sharing your story on our platform is proven to reduce trauma for you - and it helps others too, by letting them know they are not alone.
You can submit your story of any type of harassment. If you are experiencing online harassment or want to support people being harassed online, you'll need to become a member.
Learn more
Stories of harassment
I was waiting in a busstop in Antwerp. I live in Belgium and it was quite late. I just had theatre practice and I was waiting on the bus, when a man showed up. I think he h...
May 28, 2023
It was may different kinds of harassment experienced through different stages of my life and at different places. Just wanted to be a part of the survey to make it count.
May 25, 2023
I am white, Jewish, cisgender, middle class and queer. I have an incredibly amount of safety and privilege. I also am Mad and have a long history of being psychiatrized and...
May 25, 2023
My friend, our toddlers and I were shopping at Michael's. We were speaking Spanish. Then 5 cops showed up inside the store and accused us of shoplifting. I gave them my id ...
May 25, 2023
Some years ago i saw a couple young women walking from the subway, while an older man started following them from across the street and making loud suggestive comments abou...
May 25, 2023
A few years ago, I was at a bar to celebrate a friends' birthday. I went to the bar to get a drink and someone offered to buy my drink for me. I said ok and re-joined my fr...
May 25, 2023
Platform impact
Since 2005, we have received 32,000 stories of harassment. Research has shown that when people tell their stories on our site, it helps them to see their experiences as part of a larger injustice.
The study "Classification and Its Consequences for Online Harassment - Design Insights from HeartMob”, (2017) revealed that users who shared their online harassment stories on this platform felt validated when their experiences were accepted and labeled as 'online harassment' within the platform.
Learn more
17 years
of building the power of those affected by harassment
32,000+
stories of harassment received through Right To Be (formerly Hollaback!)
9,924
actions of support taken on the platformWays you can support?
Allyship and community support is a proven way to combat the effects of harassment. On our platform, you can read people's stories and click an anonymous "I've Got Your Back" button to show them they aren't alone. You can also sign up to provide direct and meaningful support to those experiencing online harassment. You will receive help requests and will be able to send supportive comments or help report and document online abuse.
Online & Offline harassment
We collect all kinds of harassment stories at work, in a public space, online, etc.
Sharing your story with us is safe as all stories are moderated by trained staff on the Right To Be Team. You can choose whether you want your name to be displayed when sharing your experiences.
It is necessary to become a member to share online harassment stories and help those who are abused online. Anonymity on the Internet can facilitate online harassment, and we want to ensure that we offer a safe space to share experiences that occur online. Bystanders need to go through a verification process to be able to provide support.
Responding to Harassment
Responding to Public Harassment
Our research shows that having some response to public harassment reduces its emotional impact. If you're looking for ideas, we're here to help you out.
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The 5 Ds of Bystander Intervention
When we intervene, we slowly chip away at the culture of harassment, and replace it with one of humanity.
ViewHealing from Harassment
Healing and Getting Closure After Harassment at Work
Closure will ultimately come when you truly internalize the fact that the harassment you experienced wasn't your fault.
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Resilience in the Face of Crisis
Our goal is to support you in holding space for yourself and making active choices about how you respond to stress and trauma.
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