UNBC developing stand-alone sexual violence policy

The University of Northern British Columbia is developing new policies to address sexual violence on its campuses.

The recommendationscome weeks after a panel called for sweeping changes to the sexual assault policiesat UBC in Vancouver.

"I think push has come to shove," said Sarah Boyd, executive director of the Northern Women's Centre at the UNBC campus in Prince George.

"There have been instances elsewhere at other universities and colleges of sexual assault that havehappened, sexual harassment that has happened on campus ... I thinkUNBCwants to take a strong stand and be proactive."

According to numbers provided by the university, UNBC had only one reported sexual assault between 2009 and 2013.

• Interactive: Campus sexual assault reports

Boyd said that number likely doesn't reflect the amount of sexual violence actually occurring.

She saidoften victims of assaultwill speak to the Women's Centre or similar groups about a sexual assault without ever reporting it to police or security.

"Only about 10percent of sexual violations are even reported, so it's very difficult to have a grasp on what those numbers actually are," she said.

More accuratesexual violence statistics

UNBC has received 13 recommendations from a task force on sexual violence established in 2014.

One of the main ones is aimed atimprovingthe accuracy of sexual violence statistics collected by the university.

Boyd said as it stands, very few people know how to navigate the system when it comes to reporting sexual assault. She hopes more information will be available so students understand their options, if they believe they are assaulted or harassed.

UNBCpresident Daniel Weeks said he hopes to increase the options for how students are able to disclose instances of sexual violence, while at the same time streamlining the way those disclosures are recorded, in order to more accurately reflect the realities of sexual violence on campus.

Other recommendations include providing trauma training for some staff, creating a stand-alone policy on sexual violence and developing new protocols to provide 'reasonable accommodation,' such as adjusting academic schedules for students who are victims of sexual violence.