UBC sees massive increase in sexual assaults over last four years

The University of British Columbia has reported a 280 per cent increase in sexual assaults reported to its on-campus support centre since 2018.

UBC’s Alma Matter Society is asking students to approve a one-time $6.42 student fee increase through an upcoming referendum to increase funding in order to support more survivors.

“The growth that we have seen over the last 4 years, and since 2020 (the start of the pandemic) is unprecedented. We’re already stretched to the limit and if this pattern of growth continues the [Sexual Assault Support Centre] will have to make some difficult decisions about the services we provide,” said  Manager Aashna Josh.

Last summer, three former UBC football players were arrested and charged for alleged involvement in a 2018 sexual assault.

Prior to that case, an advocacy group urged the B.C. Prosecution Service to approve charges against a man accused of raping a teenage girl at a Halloween UBC frat party in 2018.

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“With the constant stress of the last year of the pandemic, those symptoms and those impacts of trauma that could come with sexualized violence have become a bit more exasperated for folks,” said Josh.

With the increase of sexual violence and assaults linked to the university, the school is making moves to implement more resources to prevent sexual assaults, and help those who are victimized.

“We’ve actually made service delivery a bit more accessible. So we’ve added on video options, we’ve added on texting options, we’ve made our phone line more available on top of our in-person drop-in services. We had to cut down on drop-in services for a while but we moved toward an appointment structure there but even then, we saw an increase uptake of appointments.”

Josh says they hope the fee increase is passed, saying the centre offers critical resources and programming.

“I think a service like a sexual assault center is an essential service. On a campus especially, I think it’s a really transitional stage in people’s lives. They’re entering school, they’re experiencing adulthood, and there’s so many layers that can come with being a student and then to experience a sexual assault on top of that can just add to how overwhelming all these new experiences [are].”

Students will have an opportunity to vote online in the the SASC Fee Referendum between March 7 and March 11.