The University’s Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) launched a new support group for male-identified survivors of sexual assault on April 3. Coordinated by Therapist and Sexual Violence Resource Coordinator Alysha Warren, the group meets weekly and is intended to be a safe space for survivors.

“We started a sexual assault survivors support group for female-identified survivors, and that was an open support group model that the male survivors’ group follows,” Warren explained.

CAPS initiated the first sexual assault survivors support group in the fall semester of 2011. Since then, more support groups have been launched. Some of the old groups focused on specific events or topics of discussion, in contrast to this group’s mission to provide a long-term environment for sharing and healing.

“Having a safe space for students to share can be really constructive to the healing process, specifically because it helps break down this notion that the victims/survivors are alone in their journey,” wrote Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) intern Rachel Verner in an email to The Argus. “Another key thing is that a lot of the time, hearing other people share—especially people who are your own age—makes it significantly easier to tell your story. Not always, but often, sharing with peers makes for a more comfortable environment.”

According to Warren, joining a support group may at once elicit excitement and anxiety.

“It’s a formal acknowledgement that they experienced sexual violence and that requires a tremendous amount of courage, which is important to acknowledge given the silencing of male survivors that tends to happen in our society,” Warren wrote in an email to The Argus.

Warren noted that this is the first time that a sexual assault group for male survivors is being offered on campus.

“My original plan was to offer it next fall after I was having logistical challenges with finding a time, but when the announcement for the last group went out, two students contacted me via email about a male survivors group,” Warren wrote. “I’m excited to offer the group because narratives about sexual violence are limited and do not account for the experiences of all survivors. Men are frequently overlooked and groups are an effective way to address the isolation that many male survivors face.”

Students are likewise supportive of sexual assault survivor support groups for male-identified individuals, noting that the problem is not gender-specific.

The male support group is discussion-based. Warren explained that at each meeting, participants are given time to transition into the group space before the group opens up for conversation topics determined by the students. As the coordinator of the support groups, Warren provides psycho-education about topics and resources based on events that come up in the discussion.

“For example, if one week group members are discussing challenges with triggers or flashbacks, I will bring in related resources that might be helpful the following week or email them out to group members before the next meeting,” Warren wrote.

Warren explained that each survivor has individual concerns for the group to address.

“We recognize that people in the group are often in different phases of their healing process and while there are some commonalities in survivors’ responses, everyone’s story and response is different,” Warren wrote.

Although the deadline for joining the group for this semester has passed, CAPS and the Davison Health Center offer other resources for students. Students are welcome to schedule an individual appointment with CAPS or SART. Additional Internet resources are also located on the CAPS and Davison Health Center websites. Other programs aimed at promoting awareness include a bystander intervention program, which trains students to respond to situations that may escalate to sexual assault. Warren also intends to establish a magazine collection of stories from survivors and bystanders.

“I know that sometimes people think this is an issue that doesn’t affect them,” Warren said. “The magazine would have stories from the survivors, or people who intervene could share their bystander intervention success stories. So people wanting to write poetry, create art, [or] submit music lyrics [could spread awareness].”

The publication will be used as part of orientation for first-year students beginning in the fall of 2013. Warren hopes that the publication will provide students with an additional resource.

The support group’s main function is to allow students who have experienced sexual violence to connect with others. According to Warren, fellow members offer support and inspiration, rather than advice.

“It is very powerful to witness someone’s healing process and because group members are often in different parts of their healing, they can serve as inspiration for each other,” Warren wrote. “There is a lot of resilience in the room.”