College of Charleston | Crisis Assistance Response and Education C.A.R.E.

C.A.R.E. Confidential Reporting

Staffed by two full-time Certified Victim Assistance Specialists, this specially designed program works specifically with College of Charleston students who may become a victim of a violent or potentially violent crime. It does not matter where the crime occurs, on or off campus, or whether the student elects to file an official police report or not. C.A.R.E. services are available to any currently enrolled student.

What do you mean by confidential reporting?
Department of Justice statistics indicate that a mere 34% of college students who are victims of violent crime report the crime to law enforcement. Why? When asked, victims list a host of issues – embarrassment, loss of privacy, fear of reprisal, fear of being ostracized by their peers, fear of being removed from college by parents, possible media attention – the list is long. Confidential reporting allows the victim to decide whether to file an official report and still get the information and intervention needed, as well as allowing the crime to be counted, if appropriate, in the crime report mandated by federal law. Students working with C.A.R.E. are given confidentiality utilizing Information Release Forms. These forms allow C.A.R.E. to disclose as much or as little (or no information) to anyone – parents, professors, administrators - as dictated by the victim. While we strongly encourage victims to disclose such information to parents and are glad many do so, we neither mandate that they disclose nor call parents. Within the victim services arena, giving control to a victim who is of legal age -- control that was taken away by the offender -- is an essential element to a recovery process. Eliminating the "chilling effect" that prevents students from getting the information and assistance they need is why we have a C.A.R.E. Program. Our mission is to safeguard the rights of victims so that their voices may be heard, their choices valued and their recovery process may become a constructive reclamation of life.^SM

Services Available
A specialist, with the ongoing consent and active participation of the student, is available to:

explain the reporting process and assist the student, if he/she chooses, in filing a report with the appropriate law enforcement agency;
serve as the spokesperson for the student within the College community so that the victim's privacy and dignity are maintained in all aspects of intervention and assistance and, as necessary, to serve as liaison with individuals off campus;
work with the student to reasonably accommodate possible disruption to the student's class attendance, class work, academic schedule, or initiating necessary changes that may result from the immediate crime and the impact of that crime;
offer immediate crisis intervention and initial support;
attendance at hearings, help with victim impact statements, liaison with law enforcement jurisdictions, court personnel and other specialized resources on the local, state and national level.
explain the victim's rights, responsibilities and options;
assist in locating appropriate on campus and community resources, information or remedy to meet the student's specific immediate and ongoing needs; and
offer a listing of attorneys who have volunteered and are available to assist a victim with legal questions and/or concerns.

This program provides confidential and comprehensive victim assistance at one convenient location. All contact with C.A.R.E. is handled with the utmost discretion and with the consent of the individual being served.