During October many people may notice pink themes on clothing to raise awareness for breast cancer. For years, Eugene's Womenspace uses this month to focus on domestic violence awareness.
Domestic violence has been in the national spotlight recently in professional sports and college campuses. Womenspace Executive Director Peggy Whalen says it's great to see the issue being discussed openly, but many times the wrong question is being asked.
Whalen: "One of the things that happened with the whole Ray Rice incident was the continued focus on the victim in this case: why she didn't leave, why she stayed. It was very typical. And I'm guessing she's holding herself responsible because most perpetrators of domestic violence blame the victims for whatever they did. If you wouldn't have done this, I wouldn't have done that."
Whalen says many times, choosing to end a harmful relationship puts the victim in a dangerous place. Last year nearly 3,000 women and children were served by Womenspace. The non-profit is the primary agency to help survivors of domestic violence in Lane County.
copyright, 2014 KLCC