Addressing concerns about wrongful accusations

Many participants in our study asked about whether there were consequences for wrongful accusations under their university SV/SA policies. Frequently, this question was posed alongside recognition by the same participants that wrongful accusations of SV/SA are exceedingly rare. Because of the frequency with which this question arose, we believe it is worth explaining during education and awareness sessions why consequences for wrongful accusations are not part of university SV/SA policies (e.g., the chilling effect such measures would have on disclosure) as well as mentioning any alternate avenues for adjudicating allegations of wrongful accusations (such as civil law).