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Start with your college’s official Title IX, student health, counseling, or survivor-support pages and search for “confidential advocate,” “survivor advocate,” or “confidential resources.” Before sharing your name or details, ask whether the contact is formally confidential and what its limits are. You can ask general questions first; looking for support does not commit you to reporting or making any other decision.
Where to look for a campus advocate
Use your school’s official website so you can check the contact’s role, services, hours, and privacy policy. Search for “confidential advocate,” “survivor advocate,” and “confidential resources.” The service may have a different name, such as a survivor support center, sexual-assault response program, women’s or gender center, or campus advocacy office. A name alone does not establish that a service is confidential.
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RAINN recommends locating several kinds of support, not just one office: a confidential advocate if available, the Title IX coordinator, student health and mental-health services, campus safety, housing or academic support, and a local sexual-assault service provider. Its campus guidance also notes that you do not need to master Title IX before asking what options are available: RAINN’s guide to Title IX and campus resources.
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What to ask before sharing identifying details
You can begin with a general question without giving your name or describing what happened. For example: “Before I share anything personal, can you explain your confidentiality rules and what support you offer?” Consider asking:
- Are you formally designated as a confidential resource at this school?
- What information, if any, can you share, with whom, and in what circumstances?
- Are there situations in which you must make a report, even if I do not want one?
- Can I ask questions without identifying myself?
- What support can you provide, and what are your hours and after-hours options?
“Confidential” is not a universal promise. Duties and exceptions can depend on the person’s role, school policy, jurisdiction, and circumstances. Do not assume every counselor, advocate, campus employee, or office has the same rules, or that a conversation is legally privileged. Ask the specific contact before sharing details if privacy is important to you.
Campus policies are institution-specific
For example, Colorado State University describes its Survivor and Foundational Education Center as confidential and lists exceptions that include danger to self, imminent danger, and specified child-abuse circumstances. CSU separately says its responsible employees must report certain disclosures to its Title IX office. Those statements describe CSU’s policy and should not be treated as a rule for other campuses: CSU’s sexual-assault resources.
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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesThe University of Hawaiʻi describes confidential advocates, health services, and mental-health counselors, with communications confidential to the extent permitted by law; it also discusses a Hawaiʻi victim-counselor privilege. The details apply to that institution and jurisdiction, not automatically to another school: University of Hawaiʻi confidential resources.
How campus support options differ
These resources serve different purposes. You can ask an advocate to help you understand which, if any, fits what you want; there is no required order.
| Resource | What it may help with | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Campus confidential advocate or survivor-support center | Crisis and emotional support, safety planning, referrals, and help navigating academic, medical, legal, counseling, or reporting options. Services vary by campus. | Whether the contact is formally confidential, who is eligible, applicable exceptions, services, hours, and appointment or drop-in availability. |
| Campus health or counseling service | Health care or mental-health support, depending on the service and your needs. | Scope, availability, confidentiality rules, and whether the service also provides advocacy. |
| Community rape-crisis or sexual-assault service | Local crisis support, advocacy, or referrals, depending on the provider. | Whether it serves your area, available channels and hours, and its privacy policies. |
| Title IX office | Information about institutional options, accommodations, and processes. | Its role and reporting rules. Do not assume the office is a confidential advocate. |
An advocate’s role is to support you and explain options; contacting one does not mean you have to report or choose a particular path. A Title IX office can explain school processes, while health care, counseling, campus safety, and law-enforcement reporting are separate options. You can ask about any of them without treating them as a mandatory sequence.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.If campus support is hard to find or unavailable
Look for a local rape-crisis center or sexual-assault service provider, or contact RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline. RAINN lists free, confidential support 24/7 in English and Spanish by phone, online chat, and text. Its current page provides the live contact options: RAINN hotline and support options. The listed routes are phone 800.656.HOPE (4673), chat at RAINN.org/hotline, or text “HOPE” to 64673.
For online support, RAINN advises using a private phone or computer and a secure internet connection. Its page says that if you do not share your name and location, the session remains anonymous and confidential; do not assume the same anonymity applies across campus systems, devices, or other communication channels.
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You decide what happens next
You may want medical care, information, a conversation, help with practical needs, to report, or simply time before deciding. There is no single right path, and asking for support does not require you to explain everything at once. Choose the contact and channel that feel workable to you, and ask about privacy before sharing anything you would prefer to keep private.
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