Most sexual assault and abuse victims are between the ages of 19 and 35. But statistics show that victims between the ages of 19 and 24 seek more help after the crime than those between the ages of 25 and 35.

Lynda O’Brien, coordinator of the Sexual Assault and Abuse Services, said the organization is affiliated with the Ben Gordon Community Mental Health Center in DeKalb and counsels between 24 and 30 sexual assault or abuse victims each year.

A crisis line, which is a 24_hour service, receives about 6,000 calls a year. Calls to the service come in “spurts”, said Kris Povlsen, the center’s volunteer organizations director. People calling on the crisis line often do not pursue further treatment by the center.

People who call “either have been sexually assaulted in the past or have recently been assaulted,” said Tami Lehigh, a clinician at the Ben Gordon Center.

The SAAS provides emotional support and lets the victims know of the options available to them, O’Brien said.

Most sexual assault victims feel losses of trust and control and a sense of betrayal, she said. “Be assertive” and “when you say ‘no’ mean ‘no,'” she added.

The SAAS receives calls from primary and secondary victims, Povlsen said. Primary victims are actual sexual assault victims and secondary victims are friends or relatives of primary victims, she said.

The service is a volunteer organization, and 50 percent of its volunteers are students from NIU and Kishwaukee College, O’Brien said.

Volunteers receive 27 classroom hours of training and an additional 12 to 14 hours of follow-up training. Training is available two or three times a year. Volunteers work in pairs and are available for counseling 24 hours a day.

People interested in volunteering can call the crisis line at 758-6655.