Everybody is talking about the Ray Rice domestic violence act caught on tape.  The incident is violent, painful to watch.  It is unfortunate that we must bear witness to a violent event to raise the awareness about domestic violence, which is a real problem in our society.  Each year our legislatures and courts further develop this area of the law to create greater protections for victims of these incidents, yet it seems the public often takes domestic violence lightly until we come face-to-face with a highly visible example.    Then, as often occurs, people tend to minimize or dismiss what happened because the perpetrator is famous or highly talented; for example, Chris Brown seems to have rebounded just fine after his assault on Rihanna.

Domestic violence is a serious crime and a serious problem.  In California, we have a very broad definition of what constitutes domestic violence.  While we can debate about the reach of California’s statute, the message from our legislature is that everyone has the right to live in peace and without fearing for their safety at the hands of someone they know.  Yet, it seems some people have not gotten the message or simply cannot control their impulsive nature.  So, we need to keep talking about these assaults, over and over again. 

With that in mind, it should be noted that October is National Domestic Violence Month. Such an observance is necessary because statistics from the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (http://www.ncadv.org ) show how pervasive this problem is:

• ~ Approximately 42.4 million women in the United States have in their lifetime experienced rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner.
• ~ 1 in 3 women have experienced physical violence by an intimate partner.
• ~ 1 in 10 men have in their lifetime experienced rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner.
• ~30.3% of women in the United States have in their lifetime been slapped, pushed, or shoved by an intimate partner.
• ~ 3.2 million women have experienced severe physical violence by an intimate partner.
• ~ Intimate partner violence accounts for 15% of all violent crime.
• ~ Intimate partner violence is most common among women between the ages of 18-24.
• ~ 19% of intimate partner violence involves a weapon.

The facts speak for themselves.  Domestic violence is serious and widespread. It should not be minimized or ignored. Those who survive it can seek protection through the family or criminal courts. Sadly, too many victims are not survivors. We as a society owe it to them to control and eliminate this crime.