On Feb.15, Ray Rice was involved in a domestic violence incident in an Atlantic City hotel elevator with his then fiancée Janay Palmer.

The couple got into an argument which led to Rice spitting in her face followed by Rice knocking his fiancée unconscious. Rice was suspended for two games. After the release of the tape by TMZ, and public outrage of the two game suspension, Commissioner Goodell suspended Rice indefinitely.

Too often, domestic violence is swept under the rug by college and professional sports, Hollywood, the music industry and society to the detriment of the victim only to protect the person committing the abuse. This incident not only shows the lack of respect the NFL has for women but society as a whole. To play professional sports is a privilege and a privilege that should only be given to those who are prepared to be superheroes in their own lives before we allow them the status of superhero for society.

According to dosomething.org, 1.3 million women are victims of domestic violence each year. Often times women are not only victimized by their abuser but also by the public questioning why they stayed with their abuser. I believe there is a need for more informative programming and classes to teach and reach out to those in abusive relationships.

Loveisrespect.org reports that one in four high school girls are victims of physical or sexual abuse.

If anyone has any issue concerning domestic violence, I highly recommend you seek help from a professional by calling the National Domestic Violence Hotline at (800) 799-7233. If you’re a teenager that deals with domestic abuse, the National Teen Dating Abuse Hotline, (866) 331-9474, is another available resource.

Let’s come together as a society and find a way to cease the epidemic that is domestic violence.