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How to Report

Get help. For yourself. For a friend. 

Counseling and Consultation Services — (309) 556-3052
Arnold Health Services — (309) 556-3107
IWU Campus Safety — (309) 556-1111
Dean of Students Office — (309) 556-3111
Human Resources — (309) 556-3373
Stepping Stones — (309) 556-7000
Bloomington Police — 911 or (309) 820-8888

Reporting matters. You matter. You are not alone.

Survivors need the opportunity to come forward and be heard. Perpetrators of sexual violence must be held accountable.  

There are several ways to make a report, get support, and explore options.  

Report an Incident

Reporting Sexual Assault Downloadable PDF

▷Reporting sexual assault 

Sexual assaults are vastly under-reported. Meaning that survivors don’t come forward.

  • Because they fear they won’t be heard
  • Or believed
  • Or that reporting their experiences won’t make a difference

3 out of 4 sexual assaults go unreported.

Assaults are reported nationally at even lower rates on college campuses. Reporting does matter and it is important.

  • Survivors need the ability to come forward, to be heard and to be supported. This alone can help the healing
  • And perpetrators of sexual violence must be held accountable
  • So that the cycle can be broken
  • So that it doesn’t happen again. And again. 

As a victim of sexual assault or the friend of a victim, you have several choices to get support and explore options.

Confidential Reporting

Confidential reporting means:

  • You will be heard and supported.
  • Campus support resources, including physical care and mental health care, will be shared.
  • No one will share the incident details with anyone else.
  • Not your name. Not what happened. Not when. Not where. There are places on campus where you can get confidential help for yourself or another: Arnold Health Service Counseling and Consultation Services.

Anyone else that you talk to oncampus who is employed by the University is a private reporter. While your privacy will be a high priority for these community members, they have a legal obligation to share your name with the Dean of Students Office or a Title IX Coordinator (as mandated by the federal government).

  • Dean of Students Office
  • IWU Campus Safety
  • Your RA or Residence Director
  • IWU Faculty or Staff Members
  • Coaches
  • Work study supervisors.

Private Reporting

Private reporting means:

  • You will be heard and supported.
  • Campus support resources, including physical care and mental health care, will be shared.
  • Your privacy will be a high priority.
  • Your experience will not be shared openly or indiscreetly.
  • You’ll receive specific guidance about university responses, accommodations, judicial processes involving IWU, and civil and criminal authorities.
  • Your experience will be documented for university reporting purposes like publication in the annual Clery Crimes Statistics.

How might a survivor respond to Dean of Students Office contact?

  • When you report privately the Dean of Students Office will reach out to you to discuss how we can support you, what resources are available, and what your options are regarding accommodations and/or judicial action.
  • Please keep in mind that you can respond to our outreach as follows:
    • Ignore us – if you don’t want to talk with us, you don’t have to. However, we want to support you! Regardless, you will not be compelled to meet.
    • Meet to understand support resources, but don’t disclose any of the incident. Again, we want to help you!
    • Share what happened, request privacy, and access accommodations. This allows us to help you, but limits our ability to conduct an investigation or pursue any judicial action.
    • File an incident report for the purpose of investigation and judicial response
    • File a police report for criminal investigation.

The choices will still be yours regarding how to proceed, unless you are under 17 or there is a pattern of criminal behavior.

 

 

Community Assistance & Criminal Reporting

You can get medical and mental health support for yourself or a friend in the community

  • Carle BroMenn Emergency Room can collect evidence of a sexual assault and help reduce the potential for pregnancy or STIs.
  • Stepping Stones is a survivor advocacy organization that assists survivors with every step of recovery and surviving sexual assault.

Criminal reports of sexual assault can be made to Bloomington Police Department

  • Support through this process can be obtained through a Stepping Stones survivor advocate.