Many of our readers may be aware of the singer Chris Brown and his arrest two years ago on allegations that he assaulted his then-girlfriend, the singer Rihanna.

At the time, Brown was 19. He later pleaded guilty to felony assault and was sentenced to five years of labor-intensive probation and one year of domestic violence prevention classes.

Though the incident didn't ruin his career-he has actually made quite a comeback in the last year-the scent of the incident still lingers in the air. But many of the singer's fans believe that Rihanna was at least partially to blame for the incident.

As a recent NPR article notes, that is somewhat ironic, given the fact that Brown has come out publicly and apologized for his actions without providing any excuses. It is also somewhat alarming, as many of the young women who shift blame away from Brown are at a high-risk age for experiencing domestic abuse.

On a national scale, one in five teens report that they've experienced some form of dating violence prior to ending their teen years. If emotional abuse and cyber-stalking were included, that number would be even higher. And according to the Family Violence Prevention Fund, such violence very often starts young.

The Chris Brown abuse incident has reportedly been a source of concern for many experts on domestic and dating violence, particularly in the African American community, where certain social dynamics may make young black women more vulnerable to abuse.

Whatever happens with Chris Brown and his career, the way many young people have reacted to the abuse incident remains a cause of concern regarding prevalent ideas regarding who is to blame for domestic violence.

Source: NPR, "In Chris Brown's Big Year, Tough Questions On Abuse," Sam Sanders, January 2, 2012.