Decoding the Decision to Report Sexual Assault

Victim Services

Victim service agencies differ in their exact policies, but research has shown that a third party's encouragement to report when consulted by a survivor has a significant influence on whether they report it to the police. Over 50% of sexual assault survivors who consulted with someone else about reporting ultimately reported the assault to the police, according to the National Institutes of Health. In comparison, less than 10% of survivors who did not consult someone, or consulted someone who did not encourage them to report, ultimately ended up reporting their assault to the police.

Survivor's Household Income

“Our willingness to believe victims of harassment and violence is not extended to all victims equally,” says Emily Martin, general counsel and vice president for workplace justice at the National Women’s Law Center. “If you’re poor, you may be found less credible when you tell your story.”

Survivor's Age

Teens and young adults who have experiennced a sexual assault are the least likely age groups to report it to the police. These survivor's often say they did not report the attack because they did not want others to know, they feared hostility from the police, reprisal by the attacker, or did not know how to report the crime, according to research from the Office of Justice Programs.

Survivor's Education Level

A survivor's level of education is often a consequence of sexual assault. According to the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape, "Teens and young adults experience interruptions in their education as a result of sexual violence, often dropping out and entering the workforce without the skills they need to compete for well-paying jobs."

Medical Treatment

A survivor reporting sexual assault to the police is one of the strongest predictors of whether they will receive medical treatment or not. "victims have typically been required to report the incident to the police in order to receive state-funded emergency medical care," according to researchers at the National Institutes of Health. "These practices can discourage victims who do not wish to report the incident from seeking needed medical treatment." Laws mandating sexual assault reporting by medical personnel vary from state-to-state, according to the National District Attorney Association.