Elizabeth Lee
On February 15, 2014, football running back Ray Rice was arrested for hitting his fiancée unconscious in a casino elevator. Videos of the incident rose to the media and Rice eventually came under fire. Rice’s contract with the Baltimore Ravens was terminated and he became suspended from the NFL temporarily, only to be reinstated just recently.
On June 21, 2014, soccer goalkeeper Hope Solo was arrested for assaulting her sister and nephew. Solo appeared to be intoxicated and her family members had visible injuries. Despite her actions, she is still allowed to be goalkeeper for the women’s national team.
There is an obvious difference in consequences for both athletes. Rice, who happens to be male, was completely cut off from his team and suffered through an NFL investigation while Solo, a woman, is still allowed to play with no repercussion.
Is there a double standard in the topic of domestic violence? Men are often held more accountable for their actions regarding the issue rather than women. According to Safe Horizon, one in four women will become the victim of domestic violence. It is taught in some households that a man should never hit a woman, but what about if the situation was reversed?
It’s less common to see a woman hitting a man, but it does occur. Nearly 3,000,000 men have fallen victim to this same crime, according to Safe Horizon. However, a woman’s actions are sometimes seen as self-defense rather than abuse.
“In our society, if a guy hits a woman they’re going to jail and if a woman hits a man it’s like, ‘Oh good job you defended yourself,’” said sophomore Tia Glover.
However, others may see a woman’s actions to be parallel to a man’s actions when it comes to violence.
“Same intent equals same consequence. I mean even though it’s a woman hitting a man, it’s still fighting…The same reason a man hits a woman is the same reason a woman hits a man. Just because she’s a woman doesn’t mean that she gets privileges,” stated sophomore Rogers Prewitt.
The issue of men being naturally stronger also presents a conflict. Some argue that because of that trait, they could inflict more damage on the victim than a woman.
“In a lot of cases I think that’s true because, I mean, it’s biology. Most of us are built smaller than boys…I don’t know if it should affect their consequence though because it’s the same intent. It’s still wrong to hurt someone,” said sophomore Emily Murrah.
Family also plays a big part on how the abuser sees his or her actions. Depending on how one was raised, his or her view on domestic abuse within relationships or family in general can be affected.
“If you live in a household where your dad beat your mom, it would be so normal that you wouldn’t even blink an eye. It could definitely add onto other issues like the Hope Solo thing. No one even batted an eye at what she did,” said sophomore Omeed Safdari.
Seemingly, the root of the issue lies with resolving any conflict, especially with loved ones, with violence.
“I do have friends like that who say, ‘Oh you know violence is not the answer, it’s not the right way to go about this or you should talk things out’ because that’s how their family taught it. I know other people who say that if they’re going to hit you then you should fight back because it’s your right to do so,” stated senior Sumain Hemani.
While some conflicts are often resolved with physical actions, one question still remains when it comes to domestic violence.
“Why would you do that to your family? Those are the people you love,” stated Prewitt.
On February 15, 2014, football running back Ray Rice was arrested for hitting his fiancée unconscious in a casino elevator. Videos of the incident rose to the media and Rice eventually came under fire. Rice’s contract with the Baltimore Ravens was terminated and he became suspended from the NFL temporarily, only to be reinstated just recently.
On June 21, 2014, soccer goalkeeper Hope Solo was arrested for assaulting her sister and nephew. Solo appeared to be intoxicated and her family members had visible injuries. Despite her actions, she is still allowed to be goalkeeper for the women’s national team.
There is an obvious difference in consequences for both athletes. Rice, who happens to be male, was completely cut off from his team and suffered through an NFL investigation while Solo, a woman, is still allowed to play with no repercussion.
Is there a double standard in the topic of domestic violence? Men are often held more accountable for their actions regarding the issue rather than women. According to Safe Horizon, one in four women will become the victim of domestic violence. It is taught in some households that a man should never hit a woman, but what about if the situation was reversed?
It’s less common to see a woman hitting a man, but it does occur. Nearly 3,000,000 men have fallen victim to this same crime, according to Safe Horizon. However, a woman’s actions are sometimes seen as self-defense rather than abuse.
“In our society, if a guy hits a woman they’re going to jail and if a woman hits a man it’s like, ‘Oh good job you defended yourself,’” said sophomore Tia Glover.
However, others may see a woman’s actions to be parallel to a man’s actions when it comes to violence.
“Same intent equals same consequence. I mean even though it’s a woman hitting a man, it’s still fighting…The same reason a man hits a woman is the same reason a woman hits a man. Just because she’s a woman doesn’t mean that she gets privileges,” stated sophomore Rogers Prewitt.
The issue of men being naturally stronger also presents a conflict. Some argue that because of that trait, they could inflict more damage on the victim than a woman.
“In a lot of cases I think that’s true because, I mean, it’s biology. Most of us are built smaller than boys…I don’t know if it should affect their consequence though because it’s the same intent. It’s still wrong to hurt someone,” said sophomore Emily Murrah.
Family also plays a big part on how the abuser sees his or her actions. Depending on how one was raised, his or her view on domestic abuse within relationships or family in general can be affected.
“If you live in a household where your dad beat your mom, it would be so normal that you wouldn’t even blink an eye. It could definitely add onto other issues like the Hope Solo thing. No one even batted an eye at what she did,” said sophomore Omeed Safdari.
Seemingly, the root of the issue lies with resolving any conflict, especially with loved ones, with violence.
“I do have friends like that who say, ‘Oh you know violence is not the answer, it’s not the right way to go about this or you should talk things out’ because that’s how their family taught it. I know other people who say that if they’re going to hit you then you should fight back because it’s your right to do so,” stated senior Sumain Hemani.
While some conflicts are often resolved with physical actions, one question still remains when it comes to domestic violence.
“Why would you do that to your family? Those are the people you love,” stated Prewitt.