Jessica Ladd: The reporting system that sexual assault survivors want

The reporting system that sexual assault survivors want

We don't have to live in a world where 99 percent of rapists get away with it, says TED Fellow Jessica Ladd. With Callisto, a new platform for college students to confidentially report sexual assault, Ladd is helping survivors get the support and justice they deserve while respecting their privacy concerns. "We can create a world where there's a real deterrent to violating the rights of another human being," she says.

Sexual assault is shockingly common in college, yet fewer than ten percent of survivors report what happened. Most assaults are committed by repeat offenders, who act with near impunity due to low reporting rates and inadequate deterrents. A new digital system lets survivors document incidents securely and only release their report if another survivor names the same perpetrator. This approach promises to help survivors feel safer, ensure accountability, and interrupt cycles of harm before more people are hurt.