Prevention is the Point: A New Approach to Sexual Assault with Jess Ladd and Kristin Hatcher

Far to often, we hear about sexual assault after it happens. But what if we could stop it before it begins?

This week on Roar, Danielle is joined by two women working at the forefront of an effort most people don't talk about nearly enough: prevention.

Jess Ladd and Kristin Hatcher are the co-founders of The Fund to Prevent Sexual Assault, an organization with a bold public health vision: to reduce rape in the United States by 70% by the year 2050.

They're funding ambitious research, breakthrough prevention ideas, and innovators who are reimagining what safety could look like in terms of sexual assault. We talk about why prevention has been chronically underfunded, what real progress could look like, and why this work has to be led by people committed to sexual safety and agency. We also get into the Epstein files, the role of porn and gaming culture in shaping teen behavior, why a perpetrator-led organization might actually be the most powerful model, and a whole lot more.

This episode will make you think. And even better, give you some hope for the future.

What we talked about:

• Why the field has historically focused on response over prevention, and why that has to change
• Why prevention isn't just school assemblies and consent lectures—it's a full public health approach, like what worked for teen smoking
• The driver's ed analogy: why we've built so many guardrails around getting in a car, and almost none around a teenager's first sexual experience
• The role of porn, TikTok, gaming culture, and the manosphere in shaping teen norms around consent
• Why some people—including some in the sexual assault field—believe prevention is impossible and what the research actually says
• The Epstein effect: how high-profile cases shape public understanding, and complicate the work
• The 5% statistic that should change the way every parent thinks
• What you can do right now, from your role as a parent, employer, PTA member, or just a person who ccares

The Three Grantees

The Fund ran an open call focused on preventing high school-age, peer-on-peer rape perpetration using technology or social media. They received over 100 applications. Here are the three they are currently funding:

1. Teach Us Consent: An initiative originally from Australia, now expanding into the U.S. They're using social media to teach young people about consent through the platforms they're already on.
2. The Kaisa Project: This project is working inside gaming culture—one of the primary spaces where teen boys spend time—by partnering with streamers who already have large followings.
3. Is This Ok? A standalone web app functioning as an AI-powered coach for young people navigating sexual and romantic situations. Teens can use it to evaluate whether a situation was consensual, what they might do differently, or how to approach something they're planning.

Resources & Links Mentioned

The Fund to Prevent Sexual Assault Donate, sign up for their newsletter, or contact them directly.

South of Forgiveness by Thordis Elva & Tom Stranger—a perpetrator and his victim write about the journey of accountability and repair, together.

Ted Women Talk with Thordis Elva and Tom Stranger

Callisto: the survivor platform where Jess and Kristin first worked together

Moxie: directed by Amy Poehler & available on Netflix. A fantastic depiction of female advocacy and male allyship in a high school setting. Highly recommend watching with your teen.

The Truth Campaign - the Anti-tobacco campaign Jess referenced as a model for what culture-level change can look like

Alex Robboy, sex therapist in Philadelphia—mentioned in context of this episode; featured in ROAR Season 3 and Season 4.

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