Love Killed by Dating Violence on Virginia Campus

Shocked, shocked I say — that was the response to the death of Yeardley Love, a 22-year-old University of Virginia student. Soon after, her ex-boyfriend, George Huguely, also 22, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. But some people are asking: should we really be acting so shocked?

Over 100 cases of intimate partner abuse have been reported at UVA over the past decade. Who knows how many incidents have gone unreported. An average three women are murdered every day by their partners. Love's death isn't shocking: it's just part of the pattern. What makes it seem different is that Love was a privileged student at a well-known university; her athletic role as a lacrosse player, generally considered an elite sport, has also caught media attention.

Meanwhile, the police response took the typical tactic of putting the onus on women to protect themselves against strangers, with safety suggestions that include not walking alone at night, not opening the door for strangers, etc., etc. — all the standard protocols women already know. None of these patronizing tips would have done a thing to keep Love from being killed by someone she knew. So why do the police prioritize offering "safety tips" that have nothing to do with the situation (and sometimes feel a bit like victim-blaming) rather than addressing the situation at hand? As one UVA student commented, "Locking doors and walking home with a friend will do little if that friend is the one who will later beat or rape you."

On the Sexist, Amanda Hess points out that young women in particular are more likely to be killed be someone they know, she asks: "why hasn’t UVA included any information here about domestic violence?" Dating violence among teens and young women needs to be taken seriously. It might be comforting to think that it's only strangers you need to worry about, but too often, that's just not the case.

Photo credit: roland