Handling disclosure

Individuals may disclose their experiences with sexual violence and misconduct to a member of the college community for various reasons, including to access support.

If you receive a disclosure:

• focus on listening, giving support, and connecting the survivor with resources to meet their immediate needs (get support from a list of internal and external resources);
• respect the survivor’s decision regarding how they wish to proceed; and
• do not disclose information to others or report the misconduct to the police or VCC Safety, Security and Risk Management without the express consent of the survivor.

To the greatest extent possible, VCC will respect a survivor's choice not to make a report and will keep the disclosure confidential. Information will be shared within VCC strictly on an as-needed basis. The wishes and confidentiality of the survivor will be prioritized. However, in certain circumstances, VCC may be permitted or required to disclose information it receives, including when:

• A person is judged to be at imminent risk of self-harm or of harming another College Member
• There is judged to be an imminent risk of harm to the College community or the broader community through continued Sexual Violence or Misconduct
• Disclosure is required by law
• Evidence of Sexual Violence or Misconduct is available in the public domain.

Advice on handling a disclosure:

If you need advice on how to handle a disclosure and/or require support after receiving a disclosure, you may access any applicable support providers.

* Complete procedures for disclosing and reporting sexual violence and misconduct can be reviewed on Sexual Violence and Misconduct Procedures A.3.10 (PDF).