Bullock said her classes have been very receptive to including this as part of the overall course and they often come up with creative ways to raise public awareness about domestic violence.

Brandy Farmer, a domestic abuse survivor and co-chairperson of the UDVC public education committee, also has been involved in educating health-care providers and faith leaders.

Those who head religious organizations are becoming more receptive to such information.

"They're reluctant to come to the training at first, but when it ends, they wish that more faith leaders had been there," she said. "What we teach is how the victim thinks, how manipulative the perpetrator is and what the faith leader's responsibility is."

Health-care providers are often surprised to learn that, under Utah law, they are required to report domestic violence injuries.

Society in general has become more aware of domestic violence, but there still is an unfortunate sense of — if not blaming a victim — at least putting responsibility on the victim to make things better.

"I used to get upset when somebody would ask me, 'Brandy, why don't you just leave?"' she said of the violent marriage she endured for several years. "I wanted to tell them, 'I would like to answer that question, but I want to ask this first: Why doesn't he just stop abusing you?' It is a lot easier for him to stop abusing instead of breaking up a family."

Farmer got out alive, as did her children, but leaving the relationship was difficult and frightening, and she had to summon all her courage. At that time, there was no mandatory arrest law for an abuser. Farmer found little outside help was available then, other than one especially sympathetic police officer and the caring workers at a battered women's shelter.

The responsibility for making changes should not rest on the victim, who may have been psychologically battered into thinking this is what she or he deserves.

"No one is responsible for the abuse except for the abuser," Farmer said. "We hope by releasing this information that not only the victims are going to get help, but also the perpetrators."

Anyone with questions about domestic violence can call its 24-hour LinkLine at 1-800-897-5465.

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E-mail: lindat@desnews.com