Which is true about how unfounded determinations impact future reporting?

• A. They should not impact future reporting; survivors should feel safe to report again.
• B. They definitively end all support for the survivor.
• C. They require the survivor to submit new evidence to re-open.
• D. They automatically escalate to criminal charges.

Answer: (C)

Unfounded determinations mean, at the time of review, there isn’t enough evidence to support the report or move forward with a formal investigation. But this doesn’t end a survivor’s ability to report in the future. If new, credible information emerges—details, witnesses, documents, or medical findings not available earlier—the case can be reconsidered. In most victim-centered processes, re-opening a previously unfounded case hinges on the survivor (or investigators) providing this new information, which is why the statement that new evidence is needed to re-open best captures how future reporting can proceed. The other ideas aren’t accurate: an unfounded determination doesn’t automatically end support, isn’t an automatic pathway to charges, and re-opening isn’t guaranteed without new information.