Abuse

It’s been barely a couple of weeks ago that Chris Brown made headlines by battering Rihanna and now comes news that they’ve apparently made up and even married.

This is actually devastating news, considering Rihanna is also a role-model for many young fans. I’d hate to think that young girls who look up to her will now think that it is acceptable to be battered and that things will get better and lovey-dovey after a few apologies.

A man should never be allowed to raise his hand on a woman, period. It does not matter if he thinks he is justified to hit her for whatever reason. It is simply not acceptable behaviour. Once the beating starts, it never really stops. It’s a vicious cycle. Many women believe that their man will not beat them anymore after making heartfelt apologies, but you’d only have to look at the Women Aid centres to see that this is not the case.

Girls and women need to be made aware of their rights to be treated with dignity and respect. It is indeed sad that some willingly allow themselves to be abused all in the name of love. Is it really worth it in the end?