Am I legally obligated to report the sexual assault if a victim discloses to me?

Am I legally obligated to report the sexual assault if a victim discloses to me?

No. Reporting or not reporting an incident of sexual violence is an important issue and it is a decision that only the victim should make. There are many reasons why a victim may choose not to report the incident to authorities including feelings of shame, guilt, and self-blame; fear that no one will believe him/her; fear of retaliation from the perpetrator; reluctance to repeat personal and traumatic details of the incident to authorities; history of mistrust of the police and other authorities; reluctance to go through a criminal or judicial process; fear of parents finding out and removing them from school; and many other reasons. The victim’s decision not to report the incident must be respected. Remember that when a person is sexually assaulted, her/his sense of control has been taken away. To regain that control, it is important that s/he make decisions that affect her/his life.

Whether or not a victim wishes to report the incident to the police, the Department of Sexual Assault Services and Crime Victim Assistance request that any member of the Rutgers community who becomes the first contact with a victim of sexual assault complete an Incident Report Form. This is not a form used to identify the victim. Rather it is a way to identify incidents by location. If you complete this form, no one will ask you to identify the victim who may have come to you in confidence. The purpose of this form is to keep track of the kinds, number, and location of sexual assaults at Rutgers University.