The LSU Office of Civil Rights & Title IX, Student Government and the Psychological Services Center are partnering to offer students who have experienced interpersonal violence a free and confidential support group, meeting weekly in Johnston Hall.
The Student Survivors of Interpersonal Violence Support Group will provide LSU undergraduate and graduate students a place to connect with other students with similar experiences. Two mental health professionals will be present to guide each meeting, providing students with a space to speak.
“The goal is to give student survivors a location on campus to openly talk about what they’ve experienced and to be able to share that with people who have experienced similar situations,” said Myrissa Eisworth, a senior pursuing dual degrees in anthropology and sociology who helped create the initiative.
Eisworth is also the director of We’re Committed, an SG organization dedicated to ending sexual violence and creating a safer campus environment. She reached out to members of the PSC and Title IX office when she saw the need for a support group at LSU.
“As a survivor myself, it felt important to have that kind of space on campus, because it is not really offered,” Eisworth said.
Interpersonal violence describes any violence between people in a relationship, including sexual harassment, assault, stalking and domestic violence. Any student who has experienced interpersonal violence can apply to be a member of the new group.
“We wanted to make it a space where anyone who is interested in the group can sign up for it,” said Hope Dawan, PSC’s administrative coordinator.
To join the group, interested students can fill out an online form provided by the PSC. After the PSC reviews the form, they call to confirm and ask some questions about students’ goals.
The support group will be funded by the Office of Civil Rights & Title IX and the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators as part of a two-year partnership between the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators and a number of universities, including LSU.
The first year of the partnership includes an in-depth analysis of the university’s methods to address and prevent sexual violence. The second year focuses on creating and implementing programs and interventions across campus, like LSU’s new support group.
“There are people on this campus, in our office and across campus, who truly care about the quality of the relationships [students] are having,” said Asha Murphy, LSU’s deputy Title IX coordinator.
Meetings will begin with a short check-in period, where students can catch up and talk about their weeks. The rest of the time will be used as space for anyone to discuss their experiences and how they’re processing them. The first meetings will largely be guided by Dawan and Hannah Chapman, a clinical psychology graduate student at LSU.
The group will meet from 5–6 p.m. every Tuesday in 33 Johnston Hall basement. Meetings will start Feb. 20.
“I might be an idealist, but what I really, really hope is that the students will feel seen, heard and safe, and that they can release any shame or guilt that they feel from having experienced what they experienced,” Murphy said.
