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In mid-February, the Oregon Ducks' running back, LaMichael James, was arrested and spent two nights in jail for allegedly grabbing his girlfriend by the neck and pushing her down to the ground. James is only 20 years old but has already established a great reputation by rushing more than any other Pac-10 freshman in the history of the conference, and holding the ninth-highest total in the country. He has a bright future ahead of him, possibly with an NFL career, yet at such a young age he is already facing a hearing for various counts of assault and physical harassment on March 24.

Going through the reader comment sections of online articles on James, there is rarely one mention, if any at all, of the reason for his arrest. Instead, it is considered just another forum for sports fans to taunt each other about statistics and reputation.  The abuse is clearly ignored and disregarded. Their rage is directed at each other in defense of their respective sports teams, not to James for his alleged actions. Surprised?  I’m not.

When education systems in the country fail to provide information to students on dating violence, they can never learn the devastating effects of abuse--until it happens to them or to someone they know. This reactive way of acquiring knowledge is saddening, seeing as how a proactive stance could prevent abuse from happening at all. How can the general public be alarmed when their ignorance prevents them from realizing an issue can affect everyone, regardless of sex, socioeconomic status, race, etc.? We teach children such things as sharing, 2+2 = 4, Shakespearean quotes, and not to run with scissors in their hands, but we do not teach them that domestic violence is wrong. We teach them to ignore domestic violence as an issue that affects a minority of “others.” As a result, exemplified by the aforementioned readers, abuse is marginalized and victims become invisible. The cycle of victim helplessness goes on as those affected by domestic violence are limited in their legal rights and by their available resources.  Without education put into place, legislators will not be proactive about pushing for strong laws against domestic violence abusers, and resources will never be institutionalized.

As we know by now, one in three women will be affected by domestic violence in some way, and this statistic reflects only female victims.  All abuse victims deserve to be acknowledged and supported. Beside the abuse itself, ignorance is one of the worst things that can happen to a victim. Join me in encouraging American school systems to adopt well-rounded curriculums. These courses should include units on the cycle of domestic violence, empowerment, and intervention.  After all, as the famous activist Frederick Douglass once said, “It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.”

This posting is part of a series by passionate allies of the cause. This article was written by Jeanette Lee, a 2010 Becky's Fund volunteer.