REVIEW 

‘The Real Dilemma’ Sheds Lighton Domestic Violence 

By Joy Etukudo 

The harsh reality of domestic violence was brought into sharp relief Nov. 29 at the informational program “The Real Dilemma” sponsored by Partners in Peace, an anti-domestic violence organization.  

The program focused on domestic violence and the passive bystander and was led Kiara, a peer educator involved with Partners in Peace. The session opened up with two videos retrieved from the website www.worldstarhiphop.com. The videos depicted a man beating a woman as several bystanders watched without intervening. As the video played, those attending the program in CLT 117 watched in silence however it was evident that many were disturbed by what was unfolding on the screen. 

During the interactive portion of the presentation a male student described the video as "scary" and "just wrong", he also stated that it was "interesting to look at as a man" and mentioned how even though what happened in the video was wrong that it was evident that the man in one of the videos was pushed to his breaking point. This statement brought up the question if someone were to blame for the violent outburst depicted in the video. 

The program then went on to discuss personal space limits, statistics on male-on-female violence, and the different types of violence in relationships. Although the topics discussed in the presentation were subjects that students need to learn more about, the program was disorganized at points. Various topics like verbal abuse, physical abuse, and sexual abuse were raised by the presenter, but she failed to elaborate fully on any of the topics. There were no videos depicting woman-on-man violence and minimal discussion of violence in same-sex relationships.  

The program ended with Kiara asking the audience what they would do if they were to encounter domestic violence. Many in the audience said they would tell someone in authority or indirectly engage individuals involved in the altercation. The program was done with good intentions, but more information could have been given to provide the audience with greater insight into this critical topic.