This survey is designed to generate population-level data on how sexual violence and institutional responses are experienced in Canada.
Its purpose is to identify patterns in:
reporting decisions,
justice system pathways and outcomes,
and the health, economic, and social impacts of both the violence and system responses.
The focus is on systems and outcomes, not individual cases.
The data will be used to:
measure how experiences affect health, employment, finances, housing stability, and trust in institutions,
understand what influences whether people report or do not report,
map where cases move or stop within the justice process,
identify communication, access, and support gaps,
and document the broader public trust implications.
The findings are intended to support public-interest research, policy discussions, and improvements to procedures and services.
This survey does not collect identifying information, does not evaluate individual decisions, and does not investigate specific cases. It is designed to provide aggregated evidence about how systems are functioning over time.
Ethics & Data Handling
Anonymity and Data Protection
This survey does not require names, addresses, or other identifying information.
If participants choose to provide contact information for follow-up, it is stored separately from survey responses and is not linked to their answers.
All data are stored in secure, access-restricted systems and will be reported only in aggregate form.
Consent and Use of Information
Participants provide informed consent before beginning the survey.
Optional written responses are used only according to the participant’s selected consent option:
Anonymous public use
Research use only
Contact for additional consent
Do not share
No identifying details will be published.
Participation is voluntary and anonymous.
Participants may:
• Skip any question • Stop at any time • Choose not to share personal experiences • Choose how any optional written content may be used
No graphic details are requested.
Why this research is being conducted by an independent third party
This project is being conducted outside of government to support broad participation, including from individuals who may not engage with official processes or institutional surveys.
Independent, anonymized data collection can:
reduce barriers to participation,
improve reporting of sensitive experiences,
and provide system-level insight that complements administrative and official data.
This approach allows for the collection of information about both engagement with and disengagement from formal systems, which is often not captured in institutional datasets.
The goal is to provide an additional population-level perspective that can inform policy and service design.
The Survivor Collective
Our Role
This research is being conducted by a The Survivor Collective, public-interest organization focused on system-level outcomes, access, and institutional processes.
Our role is to:
collect anonymized, aggregated data,
identify patterns and gaps across systems,
and translate those findings into research and policy-relevant analysis.
This allows the research to:
remain neutral and systems-focused,
prioritize participant anonymity,
and examine cross-sector impacts on health, employment, safety, and public trust.
Because we operate independently and do not provide investigative or adjudicative functions, we are positioned to focus on process, access, and outcomes rather than individual cases.