Chris Brown’s Guilty Plea

The Chris Brown and Rihanna courtroom drama ended today when Chris Brown plead guilty to one count of felony assault stemming from his attack on Rihanna last February. Though he’ll officially be a convicted felon, Chris Brown’s plea guarantees he won’t be serving jail time anytime soon. Instead, he’ll be on probation for up to five years, have to serve six months of community service, and will be forced to stay 50 yards away from Rihanna (except at industry events, where he’ll have a 10 yard minimum).

While I’m not surprised with the essential slap on the wrist Chris Brown received, I am disappointed that the violent attack of a woman (celebrity or not) and consequent threat of death, is treated so lightly. The statistics clearly show that if a man hits a woman once, chances are he’s going to do it again. And seriously … isn’t this light punishment sending the message that it’s okay to physically abuse another person?

Unfortunately, teen dating violence is one issue that’s not going away anytime soon. According to a new study by Do Something, 50% of teens are personally affected by the issue of teen dating violence.

What is your reaction to the outcome of Chris Brown’s trial? Did the punishment fit the crime?

Check out this public service announcement created by Do Something to bring the issue of teen dating violence to light. The events in this video are loosely based on the report police took from Rihanna on that fateful night.