Sexual assault survey for UNB students will shape new policy

The University of New Brunswick is preparing to launch an online survey to its students aboutsexual assault - the result of which will shape the university's newsexual assault policy.

The survey, conducted by the university's psychology department and headed by Dr. Lucia O'Sullivan, will focus on students perceptions of what sexual violence is and their experiences with sexual violence.

In an email preparing students for the release of the survey next week, Director of Student Services, Sara Rothman, wrote, "The results from the survey will be used to help direct our efforts toward preventing sexual assaults, improve our response strategies when assaults occur, and evaluate the impact of our current and future interventions related to sexual assault."

RiceFuller, Senior Director of Health and Wellness at UNB, says the survey gives the university information it is currently lacking.

"There is going to be a long section of questions about experiences that people have had that would constitute sexual assault," said Fuller.

"So there's going to be some pretty in-depth questions about any sexual assault-related experiences that they have experienced on campus."

There's going to be some pretty in-depth questions about any sexual assault-related experiences that they have experienced on campus.- RiceFuller, UNB Senior Director of Health & Wellness

"You can't address what you don't know," said Fuller. "And I don't think there are many colleges and universities right now that have a good sense of what is actually occurring in terms of the numbers that they are reporting."

Assault numbers not accurate

Earlier this year a CBC News investigation revealed several Maritime universities, including UNB, had initially under-reported the number of sexual assault reports received by the schoolsbetween 2009 and 2013, when asked for the information by CBC.

UNB had told CBC a single sexual assault had been reported to them during that time period.

That number changed to 11 total reports after CBC filed right-to-information requests.

Fuller says he expects the information extracted from the survey when it is completed will increase that number once again, as well as the information the school will have on sexual violence both on and off campus.

The survey will be released to all students online next week.

It is expected to take 20-30 minutes to complete and include more than 100 questions.

Fuller could not speak to whether or not the results of the survey would ever be made public.