Now that Chris Brown’s domestic violence case has been adjudicated, it’s time to reflect on his situation and determine what we as a society can learn from it. In my book, Family Violence and Criminal Justice: A Life Course Approach, my co-author (Randy Gainey) and I describe several parallels between Brown’s case and the “typical” domestic violence case.
One similarity between Brown’s case and other domestic violence cases has to do with Brown’s childhood. Children mirror the behavior they see. Oftentimes, domestic abusers grew up in abusive households.
Another similarity has to with the dynamics in the relationship between Rihanna and Brown. A recent report from Brown’s probation officer showed that this incident was not the first time violence occurred in their relationship. In fact, in most cases that come to the attention of criminal justice professionals, histories of violence are the norm rather than the exception.
This case also demonstrates the need to have effectively trained criminal justice professionals respond to cases of domestic violence. For the most part, it appears that those involved in Rihanna’s case were professional and compassionate — with one exception. The official who released the photo of Rihanna can be seen as another abuser who victimized the beloved singer by breaching the trust she placed in the justice system.
L.A. Superior Court Judge Patricia Schnegg placed Brown on probation for five years, ordered him to stay away from Rihanna, mandated that he complete a domestic violence class, and sentenced him to hard labor. This is a typical sentence in domestic violence situations, particularly for first-time offenders, but that does not mean it is the most appropriate sentence.
The judge made it a point to state that Brown perform “actual physical labor, as opposed to some type of community service.” In making this comment, Schnegg is implying the other forms of community service are not punitive, and therefore, not effective.
Dozens of studies, however, show that alternative sanctions are equally punitive, if not more punitive than, traditional criminal justice sanctions. These studies are based on interviews and surveys of those who have experienced all of the different forms of sanctions. With a broader community service sanction, Chris Brown could have used his notoriety to show at-risk youth how they can learn from his mistakes.
Because the judge didn’t do this, it’s up to the rest of us to learn from Brown ourselves.
Brian K. Payne is chair and professor of criminal justice at Georgia State University. He is the author of five books including Family Violence and the Life Course Perspective (second edition).
