Last week, TMZ released video footage of Baltimore Ravens football player Ray Rice brutally hitting his then fiancé Janay Palmer unconscious, before dragging her body out of an elevator at an Atlantic City hotel last February. This is the first time that the public had a firsthand look at the incident that got Rice charged with third degree aggravated assault.
At the time the Atlantic City police report said, “After reviewing surveillance footage it appeared both parties were involved in a physical altercation.” Now, the video taken by the Revel Casino clearly shows what happened.
According to E! News, the clip shows Rice and Palmer “Board an elevator before getting into an altercation. Rice swings at Palmer, she then rushes toward him and he violently punches her in the face, causing her head to slam against the elevator wall. Palmer is shown lying unconscious on the ground. When the elevator door opens, Rice drags her lifeless body out. She lies unconscious for several minutes before waking up.”
After the video went public, the Baltimore Ravens immediately announced that their running back would no longer be part of the team. On Monday they tweeted: “The #Ravens have terminated RB Ray Rice’s contract this afternoon.” Prior to the video coming out, he was only given a two game suspension for his assault charge, per CBS Sports. Since the incident, the NFL has been under fire. Some are speculating that they had access to the video before the public did, while others are saying that Rice should have been punished more severely in the first place.
In May Rice apologized for his actions… with his wife by his side. He told reporters, “You know that’s not me.” He added, “You know that’s something I have to live … with the rest of my life.” CNN reported that he also apologized to Palmer, who he married after the assault incident. The foot
baller went on to say, “I let so many people down because of 30 seconds in my life that you know I know I can’t take back. We’re in counseling. We’re taking the necessary steps to move forward,” he said. “My job is to lead my family, my job is to lead my wife, and my job is to lead in whatever I do. And If I’m not being the example, then my family crumbles.” He also stated that violence is wrong.
Since the event went public, domestic violence has been a hotter topic than ever. Both critics and supporters have not stopped talking about the issue surrounding Rice and the NFL. But, does it really affect us at all?
Data from a 2011 study sponsored by Liz Claiborne showed some alarming numbers when it came to dating violence among college students. LoveIsRespect.org lists the following stats:
- 43% of dating college women report experiencing abusive dating behaviors including physical, sexual, tech, verbal or controlling abuse.
- Nearly 1 in 3 (29%) college women say they have been in an abusive dating relationship.
- More than half (57%) of college students who report experiencing dating violence said it occurred in college.
- 58% of college students say they don’t know how to help someone who is a victim of dating abuse.
- 38% of college students say they don’t know how to get help for themselves if they were a victim of dating violence.
Former Temple University student Jamal Hall had some insight on the recent controversy. “I saw part of the video. I think men shouldn’t hit women and I also think women shouldn’t hit men. The media brings attention to it, which is good. People need to understand what a problem domestic violence is.” He went on to say that it does have an impact on many college students personally. “I think some college kids can relate because some come from that background where they could have abusive parents or family members. Some college kids even have abusive boyfriends or girlfriends.”
Once again, this incident is another perfect example of a bittersweet controversy. It goes without saying that domestic violence and partner abuse is a horrific thing to experience for men and women alike. Just like so many other media events, this brings attention to a heated topic. It will hopefully help lead to solutions for people who are currently going through a situation such as this. It is clear that many people are dealing with dating violence and a large percentage of them are in college. Hopefully, unlike Janay Rice other survivors of this vicious violence will look to the negative media coverage surrounding Rice and take a stand for what is right.