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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteYou can report sexual assault to your college, to local police, to both, or to neither. A campus report and a police report are separate processes: one can lead to school support and an institutional response; the other asks law enforcement to consider a criminal investigation. You can also ask about school support and reasonably available accommodations without first reporting to police.
This guide covers U.S. colleges and universities. For your school’s specific contacts and rules, consult its current annual security report and sexual-misconduct or Title IX reporting page.
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What each reporting route does
| Consideration | College or campus process | Police or criminal process |
|---|---|---|
| Main purpose | Institutional response, campus safety measures, support, accommodations, and any school disciplinary process. | Law-enforcement intake and possible criminal investigation; jurisdiction and next steps depend on location. |
| Your choice | You may notify campus authorities or decline. The school’s procedures should explain whom to contact. | You may contact local police, ask campus authorities to help notify them, or decline. |
| Support | The school must describe available services and reasonably available accommodations. | Services and procedures vary by local agency and jurisdiction. |
| Confidentiality | Public Clery reporting omits identifying victim information, but individual communications and protective measures have limits. | Privacy and records rules depend on jurisdiction and process. |
| Where to start | Contact the school’s designated office and review its current policy. | Contact the agency with jurisdiction where the incident occurred; local arrangements vary. |
Making one report does not substitute for the other. Federal campus guidance recognizes choices to report to campus authorities, local law enforcement, both with campus help, or neither. See the U.S. Department of Education’s 2026–2027 Federal Student Aid Handbook.
If there is immediate danger or an urgent medical need
Prioritize getting to safety and obtaining urgent medical care. If you are in immediate danger, use the local emergency number. Emergency numbers and medical procedures vary by location; this guide does not establish one number or protocol for every jurisdiction.
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How to contact your college
- Find the school’s current reporting information. Look for its sexual-misconduct or Title IX reporting page and annual security report. Federal requirements call for the annual report to explain how to report these offenses, options for involving campus and law-enforcement authorities, confidentiality, services, and institutional disciplinary procedures.
- Ask what happens after an initial contact. Before sharing details, you can ask who will receive the information, whether the contact is confidential, whether identifying information must be shared, and what steps may follow.
- Ask about support and accommodations. You can ask about counseling, health and mental-health services, victim advocacy, legal assistance, visa and immigration assistance, financial aid, and other campus or community services. Ask about possible academic, housing, transportation, or work accommodations, and whether a formal complaint is needed for the support you are requesting.
- Decide whether to make a formal report or complaint. The school’s process and the effect of different choices depend on its policy and your circumstances. You can ask the office to explain your options before deciding.
How to contact police
You may contact the local law-enforcement agency directly or ask campus authorities to help notify law enforcement. The appropriate agency depends on where the incident occurred and local jurisdiction. A campus office can explain how it assists with police notification, but its role and the agency’s process vary.
A school report is not a police report, and contacting police does not itself notify the college. The cited federal handbook describes options for either or both; it does not require a person to report to one before the other.
If you are undecided, or want to report to both
You do not have to choose a single route in order to ask questions. You can start by asking a campus office to explain reporting options and available support, or contact a support resource the school identifies. Before describing what happened, ask whether that resource is confidential and what it may need to share. If you want both processes, ask the school how it can help notify police, and contact the relevant law-enforcement agency about its own intake process.
What confidentiality means on campus
Schools must explain how they protect confidentiality, including that public Clery reporting is completed without identifying the victim. That does not mean every conversation with every school employee is confidential. Information about protective measures is kept confidential when doing so does not impair the school’s ability to provide those measures.
Before sharing details, ask a prospective contact whether they are a confidential resource, whether they have a duty to share information, and what information they would need. The handbook identifies pastoral and professional counselors as special categories for particular Clery reporting purposes, but the person’s role, scope, and applicable rules matter.
Evidence preservation and getting situation-specific advice
Federal campus procedures must explain the importance of preserving evidence that may help prove an alleged offense or support a protection order. The handbook does not set a universal checklist or deadline, and the right steps can depend on what happened and what help you want. For prompt, local guidance, contact a medical provider, sexual-assault advocate, or law-enforcement agency. You can ask about options without assuming that every person should follow the same steps.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Where to find the rules and contacts that apply to you
The federal handbook sets out information institutions must provide, but it does not identify your school’s office, the police agency with jurisdiction, or the services available in your area. Review your institution’s current annual security report and sexual-misconduct or Title IX reporting page, then ask the relevant office how its process works before sharing details.
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