Chris Brown case sparks serious discussions about dating violence

INTERACTIVE: Fame and Fans

Hometown support of Chris Brown unwavering

When Chris Brown allegedly assaulted girlfriend Rihanna last month, it enraged fans of both singers.

But it also provided an opportunity to discuss dating and domestic violence, particularly among teens who revered the 19-year-old Brown.

Even Howard Stern remarked on his Sirius XM satellite radio show that Brown's situation was a "useful tool" to talk to his own teenage daughters about abuse in relationships.

The organization Do Something, which addresses issues concerning teens, recently posted on its Web site (http://www.dosomething.org) a video re-enactment of the altercation using the police arrest notes as a script and regular people in the roles of Brown and Rihanna. The goal of the video was to reinforce the severity of dating violence in a setting devoid of superstar names.

Talk-show maven Oprah Winfrey was so angered by the alleged attack on Rihanna that this month she dedicated a special hour to the situation, mincing no words in her opening: "If a man hits you once, he will hit you again."

Given the high-profile nature of the Brown case, Becky Lee, chief program officer of Richmond's YWCA, said she thinks the topic of dating violence has definitely been bumped to the forefront.

"Sometimes it can be a reality call for folks," Lee said. "For some teens, they might look at [what happened] and go, 'So?' Others are going to look at it like, 'Isn't that how it's supposed to be?' And others will say 'No, that is not how it's supposed to be.' I think it's the kind of thing that at least makes us stop and think about where we are."

Lee said YWCA statistics show that one in four teens between ages 12 and 21 experience dating violence.

Other stats indicate that men exposed to domestic violence as children are twice as likely to be abusive.

On Winfrey's show, the host was joined by Tyra Banks, who in December 2007 interviewed Brown on her "Tyra Banks Show."

During that appearance, Brown admitted to witnessing the abuse of his mother at the hands of a man -- not his biological father, Clinton Brown.

"I treat [women] differently because I know I never want to go through the same thing or put a woman through the same thing that the person put my mom through," Brown told Banks at the time.

Despite photographic evidence from the Los Angeles Police Department depicting Rihanna's significant injuries, some are taking Brown's side.

Many online message boards even suggest that Rihanna must have instigated the fight somehow, therefore forcing Brown to retaliate.

"Who is to say in any given conversation who 'started' something, who threw the first punch, who said something that made someone else not happy?" said the YWCA's Lee. "Instigation implies a one-step thing. What happened between Chris and Rihanna was a battering. He didn't punch her back. He battered her and did bodily harm. There was nothing equitable about that. That was not two people disagreeing about something. That was an assault. And whoever started it, I don't care."

The Boston Public Health Commission this month conducted a survey of 200 Boston youths, ages 12 to 19, asking various questions about the alleged assault and dating violence.

Results showed 51 percent thought Brown was responsible for the incident, while 46 percent said Rihanna was responsible; 52 percent said both were to blame.

Additionally, 44 percent said fighting was a normal part of a relationship.

"I can see why people would think that's 'normal,'," said Raynell Vesselles, a counselor at Essex High School in Tappahannock, where Brown went to school. "Look at our videos, look at our movies, look at what we're inundated with."

The Los Angeles Police Department's report of the events that occurred in the early hours of Feb. 8 describe an ugliness never before associated with Brown, who has sold millions of albums and was regarded in the music industry as the heir to Michael Jackson.

In December, Billboard named Brown the Artist of the Year for 2008, a coronation he also received in 2006, the year he broke through with his self-titled album debut and the massive radio hit, "Run It."

But even with steady fan support, his career suffered immediate consequences after his arrest.

Brown was yanked from ad campaigns for Wrigley's Gum and Got Milk? and many radio stations nationwide stopped playing his music. His last hit, "Forever," nose-dived down the Billboard Hot 100, where it had been hanging in the Top 20 for months.

Richmond's Top 40 station, WRVQ (94.5-FM) doesn't have anything by Brown in current regular rotation, but assistant program director Melissa Chase said the station is still playing his songs if they're requested.

"Pop radio has always struggled with this kind of situation, from Chris Brown to the Dixie Chicks, Michael Jackson, even back to Elvis," she said. "We've had numerous conversations about it on [our morning show] with our listeners and have heard various viewpoints, [but] Q94 is a hit-music radio station, so we reflect the tastes of our audience."

Radio station talk shows and TV aren't the only outlets using the Brown scenario to spur discussion about abusive relationships.

Last month, the Chesterfield County Domestic Violence Task Force launched http://www.relate2you.com, a Web site designed to help teens learn about healthy relationships.

Robin Jones, a prevention specialist with Chesterfield County Mental Health Support Services who spearheaded the site, said it has been in the works since last summer and that the timing of its arrival is completely coincidental to the Brown case.

But, she said, she can understand the conflicted emotions of many of Brown's fans.

"It's very confusing for kids because so many were such huge fans. His image was this wholesome, happy-go-lucky kid who was so talented with all this charm. He and Rihanna were kind of Barbie and Ken," Jones said. "Then, all of a sudden, to see these headlines . . . many young people were reeling because it's such a mixed message from what they had before.

"Young people never think they have rights in a relationship. But you have the right to be safe. To be healthy. To be happy. To ask for help and have someone believe you. And to say no to anything that makes you feel uncomfortable."

Contact Melissa Ruggieri at (804) 649-6120 or .