Fourteen rapes were reported in Cal State Northridge's jurisdiction in 2016, nearly three times the figure reported the previous year, it was reported Tuesday.
Nearly all of the 14 rapes reported last year -- which includes four that allegedly occurred in 2015 and one in 2014 -- occurred in campus residential facilities, the Los Angeles Daily News reported, citing the university's annual security report and university officials.
In contrast, five rapes were reported in 2015 and two were reported in 2014, according to the newspaper.
"When you showed me the numbers, it was not shocking to me at all," Neida Arevalo, a student at CSUN, told NBC4.
Susan Hua, CSUN's director of equity and diversity, said the higher numbers actually reflect a positive development -- more people feeling confident enough to submit rape complaints, reflecting ''trust in our system of accountability."
All of the reported rapes were investigated by CSUN's Department of Police Services unless the complainant was anonymous, a university spokeswoman told the Daily News.
"You always hear these weird sexual assault stories," said Reema Saba, another student on campus. "It happens at all universities, too. It's scary."
News
Top news of the day
Hua attributes the rise in the report to their efforts to make sure the students are aware on and off campus through programs and mandatory training.
"I think that it's a reality that rape occurs. It's a grossly underreported crime. We are being transparent in showing that," Hua said. "If it’s something that we're addressing and improving upon, we’re aware of it and we’re being responsive."
The majority of the rapes reported were allegedly perpetrated by people the victim knew, Hua said. However, school officials did not immediately disclose that precise number.
