Two terms often arise when speaking about experiences of sexualized violence: “disclosures” and “reports”. Understanding these terms helps make informed decisions about proceeding further.
Disclosure
You want to share your experience, but you don’t necessarily want anyone to act upon it. You can disclose your experience to anyone that you trust. TRU Faculty and staff are required by policy to inform the Sexualized Violence Prevention and Response Manager that a disclosure has occurred, but are not required to share any details or identities attached to the disclosure. However, if you disclose your experience to a TRU faculty member or staff, they may have to tell someone else if they think that you or someone else is in imminent danger of being harmed.
Report
Making a report to TRU about an experience of sexualized violence means that you would like the university to act upon your report. You can make a report by contacting the Sexualized Violence Prevention and Response Manager (Call TRU Student Services at 250-828-5023 to book an appointment with the SVPRM). They can provide information about the process and support through the process if you desire.
Suggestion: Make an appointment with the SVPRM to find out more about them and their role. You don’t need to disclose your own experience to ask questions.
Once a report is submitted, a review is conducted to determine whether the incident falls within the scope of TRU’s policy, and whether the incident described falls within the policy’s definition of “sexual violence”. Information about the scope of the policy can be found on pages 3-4 in the document, at Policy Consultation. If the incident does not fall within the scope of our policy, you can still receive supports through TRU’s Sexualized Violence Prevention and Response Manager (SVPRM).
If the incident does fall within our policy, an investigation will be conducted. Those who choose to report may have concerns about their safety, and TRU may implement specific measures to address those concerns during the investigation process. Once the investigation is complete, a report on the investigations findings will be sent to TRU’s legal counsel, and to the President of the University. The President determines whether and what sanctions could be applied to those accused or perpetrating harm. A detailed explanation of reports and investigation procedures can be found on pages 6-9 of TRU’s policy, which can be found at Policy Consultation.
Suggestion: Give the policy a thorough read through before making a report, so that you have an opportunity to ask questions and gain as much clarity as possible before moving forward. Consider asking a friend to read it as well so that you can compare notes.
OK, I want to make a report to TRU
If you decide to make a report to TRU about an experience of sexualized violence, you can do so through TRU’s Sexualized Violence Prevention and Response Manager (SVPRM). Call TRU Student Services at 250-828-5023 to book an appointment with the SVPRM.