onus
/ˈōnəs/noun
- 1a burden, duty, or responsibility.the onus is on them.
Most students never tell their school.
of women students sexually assaulted at school told anyone there. Men: 6%.
of sexual assaults in Canada are reported to police.
of women who didn't report doubted their school would take it seriously.
Reported to police. Then what?
Sexual assaults reported to police in Canada, 2012 to 2022
59%Not cleared40%
31%Cleared by charge41%
20122013201420152016201720182019202020212022
| Year | Not cleared | Cleared by charge |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 40% | 41% |
| 2013 | 40% | 42% |
| 2014 | 41% | 42% |
| 2015 | 43% | 39% |
| 2016 | 47% | 35% |
| 2017 | 48% | 34% |
| 2018 | 50% | 36% |
| 2019 | 54% | 35% |
| 2020 | 53% | 37% |
| 2021 | 55% | 35% |
| 2022 | 59% | 31% |
Sexual assault, levels 1 to 3. Cleared by charge includes charges laid or recommended. Revised clearance categories were introduced in 2018. Source: Statistics Canada, Juristat.
Every public college and university in BC is legally required to have a sexual violence policy and to review it regularly. The national numbers show how rarely students turn to one.
Nobody tracks how each school handles this. Onus does.
7 of 25 published policies are more than three years old. How this is counted
Sources: StatCan SISPSP 2019, StatCan GSS 2019, StatCan Juristat, clearance trends 2017 to 2022, BC Ministry of Post-Secondary Education, 2026.
“The only response security gave was, 'You should have just walked away.'” Student, Simon Fraser University, 2017, via Global News.
“I felt completely invalidated and silenced.” Student, University of Victoria, 2016, via The Canadian Press.
“I felt like I had barely any support when I disclosed it to my managers and they just shuffled me around, making me disclose it several times before passing me off to the sexual violence prevention office.” Former student, UBC Okanagan, 2022, via Black Press Media.
“Most of the time, nothing happens.” Student residence staff member, University of Victoria, 2016, via The Canadian Press.
How safe is your school, really?
Find your school. See what its policy promises next to what students say happens. Ask it anything.
Find your school.
Every public college and university in BC is on the map, coloured green to red by its On paper grade, with a ring where students' experience differs from the policy.
Read the policy, graded.
Seventeen criteria, each backed by a quote from the school’s own policy. If the quote isn’t in the policy, the point doesn’t count.
Ask it anything.
Type or talk. Answers come only from that school’s policy, with the section cited.
Rate your school.
Sign in with your school email. Your answers are stored with no link to you.
Get help, anytime.
Support lines and your school’s office are one tap away on every page. You don’t have to report to get support.