Five incidents of sexual assault have been reported on campus at California State University San Marcos since the start of the 2023-24 school year.
According to campus-wide emails sent to the CSUSM community and shared with NBC 7, the assaults occurred on the following dates:
- Sunday, Aug. 27
- Monday, Aug. 28
- Wednesday, Aug. 30
- Saturday, Sept. 2
- Wednesday, Sept. 13
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In all of the cases, the victim knew their attacker after being in a relationship or meeting at a prior social gathering, officials said, adding that two of the cases are connected and involve the same individuals on different days.
“This is a welcoming place — it’s a place for academics, and it's a place for students to realize their dreams,” Margaret Chantung, CSUSM's chief communications officer, told NBC 7 on Thursday. “This is the last thing we want is for anyone to experience this.”
Chantung told NBC 7 that the cases all involved on-campus housing, which could be part of the reason why this semester has seen more incidents reported than in previous years.
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“There’s likely a few things contributing to that” Chantung said. "Number one: We have more on-campus housing than we’ve had in previous years."
Chantung added that CSUSM has previously been looked at as a commuter school, but now with more students living on-campus full-time, it has brought new issues to the forefront.
“You don’t ever want to hear about someone going through the pain of sexual assault,” Chantung said. “At the same time, it’s prevalent in our society, and we know that college-age students are more at risk than almost any other population.”
Unfortunately, Chantung believes there have likely been more cases than have been reported. She said that from the start of the school year in the fall till Thanksgiving break, college campuses nationwide see an increase in cases of sexual assault.
It is a concept referred to as the “red zone.”
“During this time, students are being acclimated to student life, campus life," Chantung said. "Many of them are on their own for the first time. It’s a very exciting time, but it can be, also, a time of new experiences and navigating social situations that they’re not used to."
While on-campus Thursday, NBC 7 saw chalk art made by students near the administrative building. Some of it read, in part, “It’s on csUSm!” as well as, “I pledge to believe survivors, support survivors, end the silence.”
“This is an opportunity that sends a message that not only says we support our survivors but also says we’re not going to stand for this and, as a campus as a society, we need to make this stop,” Chantung said.
CSUSM students who would like to report sexual assault can find more information here.
In addition, for those who need support, the National Sexual Assault hotline is available 24/7 at 800-656-4673. If there is an immediate danger to you or someone else, call 911.
