According to Barbados Underground, The recent incident which has attracted international coverage between international performing artists Rihanna and Chris Brown has given a prominent face to the scourge of domestic violence (DV). While we agree that DV is endemic in all countries and carves across race, color, creed and even sex, sometimes it helps when famous people fall victim because of the attention it attracts.
“Reports we have read suggest that both Rihanna and Chris Brown were members of households where they witnessed domestic violence. Psychiatrists often share the view that DV begets DV and it requires a strong will and sometimes professional help for victims to break the cycle. Rumors have been rife since last year that this is not the first time Rihanna and Brown would have resorted to embarrassing displays of behavior in public when attempting to reconcile disagreements.
Yesterday’s press has reported that Rihanna will be making a public statement soon. There was a hint in the report that Rihanna will be speaking directly to the issue of DV. If she does BU believes that this is a big positive that would have come out of the sordid episode. Rihanna as a poster girl or should we say spokesperson for DV would go a long way towards raising the awareness level to this malady which afflicts all communities.
To paint a picture of the current level of DV in Barbados we thought we would post statistics, unfortunately we have not been able to find an authoritative source on the Internet. Even so the recurring comment about DV in Barbados is that known statistics are grossly understated. Many women it seems endure DV in silence. Mr. Ralph Boyce who heads up the MESA (forum to highlight the concerns of men) suggests that we have men who endure in silence as well. There is agreement though that women carry the burden of DV.
Of note is the knowledge that many of our social and support services are ill-equipped to adequately deal with DV. The police especially often treats DV reports as nuisance calls or alternatively with a heavy hand. The parties caught up in the cycle of DV require professional help.”
Source: Barbados Underground
“I think they should both get treated and seek help. They can make a big impact by working together on helping others to get help and teach young men & women the signs of Domestic Violence in a relationship.”
Kiss Kiss,
jnelj4u
The news shocked the entertainment world, yet celebrities were asked for their reactions regarding the Chris Brown assault case. Crazy, indeed, but with the stars of today not knowing the full breadth of the story, they chose to play it safe, with the man responsible for the victim’s career (Jay-Z) not saying anything about the situation at all.
T.I. decided to call on a mentor to assist him mentor! “Rapper T.I., who’s about to go to prison for a year after pleading guilty to federal weapons-possession charges, is leaning on the shoulder of his good friend, squeaky clean Will Smith… During filming of his new MTV series, “T.I.’s Road to Redemption: 45 Days To Go,” T.I. tried to change his ways and continually called Smith off-camera for advice on “how he could better inspire and motivate the kids he was mentoring,” a spy said. In the new docu-series, T.I. takes seven at-risk kids and tries to lead them to make better choices by placing them in certain situations that might make them want to change their “hustling” ways.”
JNEL & J. Magazine 