Victims have often been hesitant to report to the police or other authorities. This hesitancy may be due to a perceived lack of support or to misinformation about the reporting options available. However, reporting a sexual assault or intimate partner violence incident may help in the victim's recovery. It places responsibility for the assault on the offender and may prevent the offender from assaulting someone else. It is a method of fighting back against sexual assault and intimate partner violence on campus and in society.
Victims have several reporting options.
Victim Services, Campus Legal Services, the Ombuds Office and law enforcement personnel are most knowledgeable about the reporting options and support services. However, network members are all first contact resources and are able to assist victims or make appropriate referrals. While it is true that reporting a crime as soon as possible after it has occurred may result in better evidence collection, reports made even years after the assault have resulted in prosecution or increased community safety.