Which statement best describes restricted reporting vs unrestricted reporting for sexual assault victims?

• A. Restricted reporting allows confidential disclosure to identified individuals and access to medical treatment and counseling without triggering an official investigative process.
• B. Restricted reporting triggers an official investigation immediately.
• C. Unrestricted reporting involves reporting only to a chaplain with no medical treatment.
• D. Unrestricted reporting is confidential and does not involve any investigation.

Answer: (A)

Restricted reporting centers on confidentiality and giving the survivor access to medical care, counseling, and victim advocacy without starting an official investigation. The information is shared only with designated confidential professionals, and the survivor decides whether to pursue an investigation later. Unrestricted reporting, by contrast, involves notifying authorities and initiating an official investigation, with information potentially used in that process. Medical care remains available in both paths, but the key difference is whether an official investigation is triggered automatically.

The other descriptions don’t fit because they imply that restricted reporting starts an investigation, or that unrestricted reporting is confidential with no investigation, or that restricted reporting is limited to a chaplain with no medical treatment.