A Few Words On Chris and Rihanna

by Loryn Wilson · 2009-02-20 09:03:00 UTC
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Most of you have heard about the Chris Brown-Rihanna domestic violence issue. There are several sides to this story, but I will say that violence against women is a serious issue and it is an issue that needs to be addressed in our communities.

Two members of Females United for Action - 15 year old Alex Pates & 17 year old Ace Hilliard - wrote about the Chris Brown / Rihanna case.  The group is hoping that the article will be used  for discussions around intimate partner violence and how the media frames the issue.

I am so glad that these two young women are speaking out about this issue. My hope is that this story will begin an honest dialogue about domestic violence among men and women, boys and girls, gay and straight.

This is not an easy discussion nor is it an easy topic for me to write about. The thing that really bothers me about the way the media handles the Chris-Rihanna case is that it perpetuated a culture of blame when it comes to domestic violence coverage. What did Rihanna possibly do? Bloggers and reporters started to ask. Maybe she dressed too sexy. Maybe she threw his keys out the car. OMG, she gave him herpes!

All of a sudden, the blame game began. The media--particularly entertainment media and the gossip bloggers who benefit from it--were blaming Rihanna for what had taken place. Nevermind the fact that Rihanna was in pain, mentally and physically--it was her fault right out the gate.

Many rape and domestic violence cases go unreported because no survivor, regardless of their sex, gender, race, or sexual preference, wants to be blamed for the abuse they have experienced. No one wants to be told that perhaps they "deserved" their abuse, and no one wants to go to court only to see their absuer let off the hook.

We need to break out of the habit of blaming the survivor for their abuse. I will acknowledge that there are several sides to cases like Chris and Rihanna but I also we must realize that a honest dialogue means having compassion and sensitivity for our friends, loved ones, sorority sisters, neighbors, and coworkers who have survived any form of abuse. An honest dialogue means being careful what we say around our children--that if we continue to be insensitive and forwarding around pictures of Rihanna's bruised face, we are only setting a dangerous precedent for them.

Loryn Wilson
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