Chris Brown and Rihanna Back Together: What We Can Learn About Abusive Behavior

If you keep up with celebrity news and gossip at all, you have probably heard a rumor or two that singers Chris Brown and his ex-girlfriend Rihanna are getting back together again.  This came as a complete shocker to fans of both singers . . . especially considering that nearly three years ago, Chris Brown and Rihanna brought domestic violence to the mass media spotlight when Brown angrily beat and abused his then-girlfriend after an incident involving a simple text message.

Rihanna drew the support of all of her followers plus millions of other non-fans that strongly opposed domestic abuse, and everyone was proud of how easily she left Chris Brown.  The following songs she created were very angry in nature, and we can safely assume that some of those songs were targeted directly at Brown.

After pictures of Rihanna’s battered face surfaced on the internet, the intensity of the public's support greatly increased, and everyone hailed Rihanna as being a strong woman, and many other women involved in abusive relationships drew inspiration from this event and gathered enough strength to leave their own relationships as well.
 
What does this all have to do with “health” you may ask? A lot, actually, when you consider all the mental and physical consequences of participating in an abusive relationship.

If Rihanna is indeed getting back together with Chris Brown after everything that has happened, it will serve as a huge defeat and setback to the very women who were supporting her for her strength in difficult times. And, just as importantly, it shows just how difficult it can be to escape from an abusive relationship.  If someone with all of the money, power, fame and looks of Rihanna can't escape the only boyfriend of hers that battered her, how can other women who have little to no self esteem even hope to escape their relationships? 

The Perils of Abusive Relationships

One of the hardest parts of an abusive relationship is leaving it.  There could be many reasons for this.  For example, the abused partner may be fearful of leaving, and may believe that doing so could lead to dangerous consequences for themselves.  This fear of retaliation from their abusive partner is strong motivation for wanting to stay.
 
Another common psychological effect of domestic violence is denial.  Some people feel as though the love they have for their partner will be enough to overcome their aggression and ultimately cause them to change. But unfortunately this proves to be a false hope more often than not.  Other examples of denial could include a victim who might misread the physical or verbal violence as just "part of a relationship" or a one-time thing; and none of these reasons will provide a strong enough motivation to leave the relationship. 

Domestic violence is the leading cause of injury to women between the ages of 15 and 44 in the United States - even more than car accidents, muggings and rapes combined.  It tends to affect women more so than men, and it is estimated that around 4 million women are beaten in their own homes each year by their husbands. 

Even though incidents like the one with Rihanna and Chris Brown three years ago help bring the issue of domestic abuse to the forefront of everyone's minds, the fact that the victim is seeking to rekindle an old flame and forgive his violence portrays a sadly accurate picture of the difficult struggle that abuse victims face when trying to escape their violent partners.