Ugh. Oprah and Tyra might want to schedule a few more "teachable moments." The Boston Herald reports that a recent survey by the Boston Public Heath Commission found that almost half of the 200 teenagers surveyed thought Rihanna was responsible for her alleged beating at the hands of Chris Brown. Among the other depressing results: Only 51 percent thought Brown was responsible for the incident, 44 percent thought that fighting was a normal part of a relationship, and a "significant number said ‘Rihanna was destroying Chris Brown’s career.’" For years public heath advocates have been trying to flip the narrative on domestic violence: That it isn’t like other relationship issues, that it’s not something that can be worked out, that it’s the ultimate, absolute, never-look-back deal-breaker. But now, as one anti-violence advocate said in the Herald piece, "Somehow young people have gotten the message that this is just part of a relationship." This news, coupled with People.com’s report that Rihanna and Brown have recorded a "sweet and sentimental" duet, leaves me more than a little depressed this morning. What do you think PopWatchers? Is this survey just a blip? Or has the Chris Brown and Rihanna saga seriously damaged the fight against domestic violence?
Boston survey finds that many teens blame Rihanna
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Comments (1-15) of 494 Add your comment
Where are these teens from? South Boston? I am from Sheepshead Bay Brooklyn, NY, which is similar in demographics to that area and I can tell you that I work with teens here who love Rhiannas stuff. They could not believe that she was direspected like that. No woman or man should ever be treated that way.
Oh jeez, here we go again with all the comments that are all basically posted over on the Oprah article.
I just don’t understand. Is our society moving backwards???
I live in the Greater Boston area and am a 22 yr. old female and when I heard that on the local news last night I was shocked. It’s very sad to that young people think its ok for a woman to be treated like that. Nothing she did can justify what he did to her.
When teens respond that this is a “normal” part of the relationship, it is truly a reflection of what is going on around them within their own families. The question is how do you break the cycle within a pattern that they grow up in and see as normal. If the parents and adult role models around them don’t change, the pattern is destined to repeat.
Any survey that only interviews 200 subjects just can’t be terribly accurate. True, a ton more work needs to be done on this subject, and I pray that these results are an anomoly and don’t give the whole picture.
Any survey that only interviews 200 subjects just can’t be terribly accurate. True, a ton more work needs to be done on this subject, and I pray that these results are an anomoly and don’t give the whole picture.
Yup, it’s always about poor women, so innocent and pure they do nothing wrong. Not saying she should be beaten but enough with the weaker sex card. You only play it when it’s suits you.
This is beyond depressing. What can we do to fix this?
Teenagers to the age of 24 or a group in abusive relationships that has grown alot. Somewhere along the line these kids have become accepting of it and think it’s alright and just a part of a relationship. Really sad. They need to be educated and told it is NOT acceptable.
Why wasn’t there an outcry when Kelly Bensimon from “The Real Housewives of New York City” beat her boyfriend? Called double standard.
Shamrock:
If a woman beat her husband, boyfriend, or son black and blue like this, I would be just as dismayed. Domestic violence is never okay, no matter who you are.
Besides, this isn’t about the fact that women are usually physically smaller and weaker than men. It’s about the fact that so many men still view women as property.
Sorry, meant to say “to Shamrock” in name line.
Gee guys, I wonder where this kind of attitude comes from??
Shamrock Fri, Mar 13, 2009 at 11:42 AM EST
“Yup, it’s always about poor women, so innocent and pure they do nothing wrong. Not saying she should be beaten but enough with the weaker sex card. You only play it when it’s suits you.”
How do you know he views her as property. Nobody here knows anything about their relationship. Obviously she is fine with it and forgive him.