Many Boston teens surveyed say Rihanna is at fault for assault (Liberals Educating America ?)

Boston Globe ^ | March 13, 2009 | Milton J. Valencia and Jenna Nierstedt

[IrishMike]

Here's a conversation starter: Nearly half of the 200 Boston teenagers interviewed for an informal poll said pop star Rihanna was responsible for the beating she allegedly took at the hands of her boyfriend, fellow music star Chris Brown, in February.

Of those questioned, ages 12 to 19, 71 percent said that arguing was a normal part of a relationship; 44 percent said fighting was a routine occurrence.

The results of the survey, conducted by the Boston Public Health Commission across the city and equally among boys and girls, are startling for local health workers who see a generation of youths who seem to have grown accustomed, even insensitive, to domestic violence.

"I think you'd have to be pretty jaded if you weren't startled by it," said Casey Corcoran, director of the health commission's new Start Strong program.

The program began in the fall as part of a Start Strong: Building Healthy Teen Relationships Initiative, a private foundation program that was offered in 11 cities across the country. Corcoran said the four-year, $1 million competitive grant program will allow the city to train mentors and outreach workers to speak to 11- to 14-year-olds about the dangers of domestic violence.

Corcoran said the Rihanna and Brown controversy, which is one of today's top entertainment news stories and a topic of conversation for young people, allows for teachers and parents to begin conversations about the dangers, and prevalence, of domestic violence.

"This is something tough for parents to bring up, but this is a very big case regarding domestic violence," said Corcoran, pointing out that Oprah Winfrey devoted her television show yesterday to teen dating violence and featured the Start Strong initiative.

"This is an opportunity to start those conversations; it shouldn't end with a survey," Corcoran said.

[IrishMike]

If Chris Brown is seen as the 'victim'..... Time to move !

[vpintheak]

I cannot fathom the sheer stupidity coming from our society these days. Seriously, it blows me away.

[MattinNJ]

Go ask the Cuban girls down in Miami. Good luck with that. My wife is Cuban-I tread lightly and make no sudden arm movements.

[Mac from Cleveland]

Sounds like a million dollars well spent.....NOT

[donna]

Not beating your wife is a Judeo/Christian value.

[Professor_Leonide]

I didn’t know Boston was a woman beating kind of town...

[utahagen]

While I don't doubt there are many idiotic teens out there, I am skeptical of many of these polls. For example, I've heard, “One in four American women has been abused by her boyfriend or husband.” This is just baloney. I have sisters and friendships that go all the way back to grammar school and no one I know has ever been hit by a guy. If one in four American women is abused, why don't I know any of these women? And the “women-don’t-talk-about-abuse” argument won't wash because the question then becomes, “If women don't tell anyone...how do pollsters know?”

[2banana]

Teenagers are morons. I should know, I used to be one of them. They start to wise up around 30.

[swain_forkbeard]

“”I think you’d have to be pretty jaded if you weren’t startled by it...”

Color me jaded.

[BradyLS]

I joked to my brother that Chris was "just keepin' it real."

Guess teens think so, too. Fo' shizzle!!!

[humblegunner]

She got lippy.

Everybody knows you are supposed to smack hoes that gets lippy, yo.

[Puppage]

What do you tell a woman with 2 black eyes?

Nothing...you already told her twice!

[WakeUpAndVote]

Bitch set me up!

[sweet_diane]

Apparently (according to my mom) 0prah covered this topic yesterday with Tyra Banks. They were trying to convince young women that Chris Brown was NOT the victim here! Regardless if the woman hits first... and man does NOT hit a female, period.

[I Buried My Guns]

I can see that you’re a fan of the classics.

[devistate one four]

Now, now, don’t be upset. Remember that this is Boston, where the towers bombers flew their mission from

[Puppage]

I can see that you’re a fan of the classics.

Am I giving away my age again?

[Abathar]

My wife is a good old fashioned midwestern farm girl.

I knew after seeing her fill a huge hay loft by herself once that anyone who crossed her path did so at their own peril.

[freedomfiter2]

Regardless if the woman hits first... and man does NOT hit a female,

It seems that women are finally being treated as equals. While it certainly true that real men don’t hit women, decent women don’t hit men either. In this case neither the man or the woman could be considered decent.

[Camel Joe]

The Islamification of America continues. Noticed how woman's clothing has added a hood as a fashion accessory? Noticed the new scarves that look so strikingly similar to those seen in the ME? Even Rachel Rae had an incident with a scarf that seemed to indicate sympathy with Hammas, she was asked not to wear it.