Universities across Ontario have released the full findings of a study commissioned by the provincial government on unwanted sexual experiences among university-aged people.

The data released today, available on the Council of Ontario Universities web site, includes results for all Ontario colleges and universities, including the University of Guelph.

“U of G considers sexual violence to be a critical issue. We take seriously our responsibility to combat and prevent sexual violence on campus and to ensuring the safety of students, staff and faculty,” said Carrie Chassels, vice-provost (student affairs).

Chassels added that sexual violence is a serious societal problem that extends beyond college and university campuses, especially among the university-age population.

“One unwanted sexual experience is one too many. As such, the survey results are concerning and demonstrate that as a society, we need to do more. U of G is committed to contributing to change.”

Chassels added that U of G supports the gathering of data to better understand the issue among university-aged people and to inform our education, prevention and response initiatives.

The survey was commissioned by the province in 2017 and conducted by the firm CCI.  It was sent in early 2018 to 701,000 students aged 18 years or older; 160,000 responded, a 22-per-cent response rate.

Among the questions, the survey asked students about their perceptions of available supports and services, whether they had experienced unwanted sexual experiences both on or off campus during the course of their studies, and their familiarity with university resources and reporting systems.

In total, 5,852 U of G and University of Guelph-Humber students participated, almost one-quarter (about 23.5 per cent) of the student population for both institutions.

The Council of Ontario Universities has posted the survey data on its website. For U of G, the results include the following:

• U of G ranked among the top three universities in Ontario for students reporting that they understand how to get help and support for themselves or others for sexual violence;

• 91.4% of U of G students report a good understanding of consent;

• 28.7% experienced one or more non-consensual sexual experiences;

• 84.3% of incidents occurred off campus, 17.4% on campus;

• 53.9% described the person who committed the behaviour as a student; 1.3% reported the person(s) as a faculty member, instructor or administrator; and 44.5% reported the person was not affiliated with their university/college.

• 67% said they were very satisfied/satisfied with how the University responded to and handled a sexual violence complaint; and

• 72% of those who reported witnessing inappropriate sexual behaviour intervened.

The new data follows a summary report released in March 2019 by the Ontario government. The authors of that report cautioned against comparing institutions with variations in institutional circumstances, student body demographics and student response rates.

U of G has made numerous improvements before and since the 2018 survey, Chassels said, including the following:

• Establishment of a Sexual Violence Advisory Committee made up of students, staff and community experts, and a full-time sexual violence support and education coordinator;

• Enhanced services and supports for students who have experienced sexual violence to create safe spaces for students;

• Education programs about the importance of consent and bystander intervention. These programs aim to ensure people feel comfortable in seeking support should they experience sexual violence;

• A consent program for new students and numerous campaigns on sexual violence awareness and prevention initiatives throughout the year, from social media and educational campaigns to self-defence classes.

U of G’s supports, policies and procedures for responding to allegations of sexual violence are publicly available online.