Many victims are reluctant to enter the civil litigation process due to concerns about their privacy and the confidentiality of such sensitive and embarrassing events.

The identity of victims can be kept confidential. The names of children are commonly left out of court documents and referred to only by either their initials or as a “Jane Doe” alias. Courts commonly accept such measures to protect the innocent. Cases frequently settle with confidentiality agreements, whereby the sides agree to keep the terms of any settlement confidential. This too can benefit victims by protecting them from the revelation of the terms of settlement. By doing so, the court prevents revealing details that may provide a map to the events themselves.