Assault victim support group coming to IU

A new counseling and support program will be coming to IU's Sexual Assault Crisis Center in mid-February and will focus on women who have been sexually assaulted by dates or acquaintances. \nKnown as "Survivors of Sexual Assault," the group is limited to eight members and will meet every Tuesday. It will be an open forum where women can discuss their experiences in a safe environment, said Suzanne Pauwels, a counselor with the group. \n"Many times people feel that something's wrong with them, that they're different and I think that this normalizes that for people," she said. \nNinety-five percent of all campus assaults occur between people who already know each other, Pauwels said. Previous counseling programs have been in place during past semesters and have provided a broader degree of support to women who had been assaulted. \nThe "Survivors of Sexual Assault" group is free to students and is led by Pauwels and another licensed counselor, Debbie Melloan-Ruiz -- both members of Counseling and Psychological Services. All sessions are confidential. \n"It's an embarrassing subject to talk about, sexual assault. And I think people are often reluctant to seek help because they blame themselves," Pauwels said. "I think it's helpful for people to have a safe environment to talk about these issues." \nThe new topic for the counseling program comes as more attention is being given to sexual harassment, both on campus and across the nation. On Tuesday, the American Association of University Women reported that nearly two-thirds of all campus students have been harassed in some form, with one-third of students reporting physical harassment. As part of the its study, "Drawing the Line: Sexual Harassment on Campus," the AAUW awarded IU's Office of Women's Affairs with a $5,000 grant to promote awareness and to educate the campus on sexual \nharassment issues.