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September 1, 2024 Sep 01, 2024 9 min read

How to Report Campus Sexual Assault

Highlights —

  • Teenagers and young adults face the highest risk of experiencing sexual assault, but the vast majority of sexual assault goes unreported.
  • In Canada, survivors who chose not to report worried they would not be taken seriously or expressed distrust in the criminal justice system.
  • The process of reporting comes with challenges, but students should understand their options for reporting so they can make informed and empowered decisions.
  • Students who experience campus sexual assault can file reports though campus law enforcement, school administrative offices, local law enforcement, student clinics, and student resource centres.
  • Depending on the circumstances, reports and complaints can lead to legal or disciplinary action against assailants.

The median age of sexual assault victims in Canada is 18, and 71% of post-secondary students witness or experience unwanted sexual behaviour, according to a 2021 Statistics Canada report. This means college-aged people — particularly women — face greater risk of experiencing assault. Students heading to university this fall should know how and where to report campus sexual assault if necessary. 

 

This guide is designed to help students understand their options for reporting campus sexual assault to their schools or local authorities.

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Most Sexual Assaults Go Unreported

Over 30,000 sexual assaults are reported to the police in Canada every year, according to the Ontario Coalition of Rape Crisis Centres — but it’s estimated that a staggering 94% of all assaults go unreported.

Why do most people choose not to report? According to data gathered by Statistics Canada, the reasons are troubling.

Common reasons for not reporting sexual assault include:

  • Feeling the incident was “not important enough”
  • Not trusting the police and/or the criminal justice system
  • The fear of not being taken seriously or believed
  • Feeling uncertain about whether what they experienced was assault
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Deciding whether to report is a personal decision, and it’s okay not to report if you don’t want to. However, if you have any suspicions that what you experienced could be considered assault, you deserve to know how and where to file a report.

What to Expect When Reporting Sexual Assault

All sexual assault victims should get to feel believed and supported when filing a report or complaint. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Many sexual assault victims struggle with feeling disbelieved, blamed, or shamed when speaking to authority figures about what happened to them.

 

Before deciding where and when to report, consider the challenges you might encounter and find ways to support yourself through the process.

Even if you don’t encounter any victim blaming or other negativity during the reporting process, reporting a sexual assault can still be distressing or even re-traumatizing. The reporting process usually involves having to recount the story of what happened to you, which can bring up painful emotions and memories.

5 Ways to Report Campus Sexual Assault

Here are five strategies college and university students can use to report sexual assault on or off campus.
 

1. Contact campus law enforcement

Most colleges and universities have security or law enforcement departments that can help students file reports of campus sexual assault.


If you are unsure of how to contact your school’s law enforcement, check the school’s website for information. You can also try asking an administrator, trusted professor, or fellow student.

 

2. Report the assault to your school’s administration

If you would prefer not to report your experience to law enforcement, you can file a complaint with your college or university. Administrative complaints can be used to pursue disciplinary action against the person who assaulted you, but some schools allow students to file complaints without requesting investigations.


To file a complaint with your school, contact the administration office.

 

3. File a police report with local authorities

For those wanting to pursue legal action against the person who assaulted them, filing a police report is a necessary step in the process.


To file an official police report, call 911 or the local emergency number in your area.  Alternatively, visit your local police station in person to report what happened, and consider bringing a trusted friend or loved one with you for support.

 

4. Report through your campus clinic

If you’re feeling nervous about the idea of reporting, you might find it more accessible to report through your school clinic. Most colleges and universities have dedicated student clinics that provide medical and support services to students who have experienced campus sexual assault. You can request to file a report or complaint during an appointment or simply by visiting the clinic during their open hours.

 

Remember that reporting the assault to your school does not necessarily require you to seek consequences for the perpetrator.

 

5. Visit your school’s student resource centre

Some schools have dedicated sexual assault resource centres on campus designed to support students dealing with campus sexual assault and other forms of abuse.

 

If your university has a resource centre like this, this would be an excellent place to file a report and get access to many other resources to help you recover and cope with your experiences.

What Happens When You Report Campus Sexual Assault?

The impact and outcome of your report will differ based on how you report, the course of action you request, and the specific circumstances surrounding what happened to you.

• If you file an official police report…

This opens the doorway toward potential legal action against the assailant, but there is no guarantee that your report will lead to a conviction. That said, if you do not want to pursue the possibility of punishment for the person who harmed you, do not file a police report.

• If you file a complaint with your school…

The process of filing a complaint with a college or university is more flexible, as it’s not a legal process (though it can happen alongside a legal proceeding). Students can typically choose whether or not they want a complaint to lead to an investigation.

 

Filing a complaint without an investigation provides your school with information about the assailant in question and may contribute to more accurate campus sexual assault statistics. Requesting an investigation along with your complaint could lead to academic consequences for the person who harmed you, though this is not guaranteed.

 

More Resources for Campus Sexual Assault Survivors

Looking for more information? Check out these articles from the Go Thrive Go library:

 

Learn and Grow with Go Thrive Go

Go Thrive Go is an online platform designed to support victims and survivors of sexual assault and gender-based violence. With hundreds of in-depth tools like educational videos, guided meditations, movement practices, and informative articles, Go Thrive Go provides an affordable, accessible pathway toward recovery for those who may not feel ready for conventional therapy.


To experience Go Thrive Go, start your free 14-day trial today.

Author Bio:

Dana Yewbank (they/them) is a freelance writer, editor, podcaster, and artist. With a degree in interdisciplinary sociology and a background in domestic violence and sexual assault advocacy, Dana brings a keen awareness of victim and survivor needs and experiences to their work. Learn more about Dana’s freelancing work at www.danayewbank.com or through their popular LinkedIn page.

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