Switched-On Magazine

Domestic violence, domestic abuse. We've all heard of it, though I'm sure much of the recent awareness of the issue is a result of distressed celebrity couple Chris Brown and Rihanna. Despite how it is portrayed in the media domestic violence can hit closer to home than we think. No pun intended; this type of violence, as is any type of violence, is a serious issue. Really, who can say that they would like someone that they trust, someone that they've been intimate with, to abuse them be it physically, even emotionally? I think just seeing what Chris and Rihanna have to deal with should be enough to deter any such thoughts from even the most sadistic minds. When you think about it, this occurrence and its publicity, for them anyway, was lucky. I think that it was the best thing that could have happened in this sort of situation: the majority of domestic abuse cases go by unnoticed or are disregarded, not taken seriously. Domestic abuse is a vicious cycle, though its spokes are not always obvious. Here's a few ways to begin to notice them and a few things to jam in there to slow this cycle down.

Whether we like to believe it or not, the victims of domestic violence aren't always women. They can also be men, and even teens and children. The damage can be direct or indirect.  Say one of your friends hangs out at your house often because they don't want to go home because of an abusive parent. What do you do, knowing that this is going on? Keep it to yourself in order to protect your friend or tell your parents who could try to better the situation. Either choice may either help or hinder the situation. A problem with domestic violence is that no two situations are the same, and what solves one problem may not solve another. Even in the most turbulent relationships there can be patches of outwardly safe behavior. Don't let these deter you, and don't be afraid of talking to someone about the issue, whether you yourself, a member of your family, or someone you know is involved. Just acknowledging that there is a problem can save a life. People aren't known to defend known abusers that they aren't intimate with. It makes me wonder why people defend their loved ones' actions, no matter how horrible.

The thing about this issue is, how do you stop it, how do you not let it continue? Should we assign blame? Many of Chris Brown's fans remain loyal to him despite this incident, and even defend him in the face of Rihanna's pain. This time Rihanna was hit and hospitalized. The next time could be worse. Still, would it be wrong for her to want one more go? We can't help how feel. However, we can help what we feel. Let's not let this sort of violence add to it. Hug it out, don't slug it out.