Calls to the Physical Abuse Centre have been flooding in since the recent "Blow the Whistle on Violence'' conference has heightened public awareness of domestic abuse.

While the centre received 175 calls in the first six months of 1994, last month alone the number leapt to 60.

"Thirty years ago there was just as much battering but people thought it was okay,'' said counsellor at the centre Ms Sandra Dill-Lodge. "Today we approach it from a different angle. Now people are asking for assistance.'' Ms Dill-Lodge made the statement this week at one of a series of presentations on "Sexual and Physical Violence: A Bermuda Perspective'' organised by the Women's Resource Centre.

In her talk, Ms Dill-Lodge outlined how the centre provided support for victims of sexual and physical assault through a 24-hour crisis line, support groups, community education and a shelter. But she added that the 15-bed temporary shelter, the location of which is kept a carefully-guarded secret, was oversubscribed and the centre had been forced to turn women away.

"We are looking for larger premises,'' she admitted. "There are so many women that we are turning them away. They are not just homeless or poor people -- they are women from all walks of life who come to us for help. We get professional women with children and good jobs.'' A good security system and a direct line to the Police who respond immediately to calls, means the centre is a safe place for women seeking refuge from their abusers.

But while some men have come looking for their wives or girlfriends at the shelter, Ms Dill-Lodge said there had been no attacks so far.

"Most times batterers do not come to the shelter,'' she said.

Director of Counselling Services at the Womens Resource Centre Ms Sharon Apopa spoke to the assembled group -- the majority women, on how to help victims of rape and sexual assault.

Most importantly, she said, there is no "recipe'' for counselling.

Victims, she pointed out, could display all or none of a range of symptoms following an attack, including fear, guilt, withdrawal, eating and sleeping disorders, alcoholism, headaches or fear of leaving their homes.

"Most women will experience different symptoms, but you can't, for example, assume every woman feels guilty -- she may not feel guilty at all. Counsellors must identify what she is feeling.'' She added: "Because a person does not respond to a situation the way we would, it does not mean that person is not in crisis.'' Chillingly, when rapes went unreported, the perpetrators were more likely to strike again, she said.

In some instances an abuser could have over 100 victims if he was never reported.

"I know of very few people who would victimise one person and stop,'' Ms Apopa said.

Research shows that following an attack, victims may remain "in crisis'' from four to six weeks.

"The critical period is within that time range,'' said Ms Apopa. "After that they will resolve it in some way or another.'' To survive the crisis period victims need two of three things: supportive friends or relatives, an accurate perception of the situation and an ability to handle stress.

With one or none of these, victims faced a 100 percent chance of going into crisis. Following an attack, one in four rape victims considered suicide, Ms Apopa said.

"The role of the counsellor is to teach them new methods of coping without encouraging them to become dependent.''