Editor 's note : Jane Velez-Mitchell is host of the HLN show , `` Issues with Jane Velez-Mitchell , '' a topical event-driven show with a wide range of viewpoints . Velez-Mitchell is the author of `` Secrets Can Be Murder : What America 's Most Sensational Crimes Tell Us About Ourselves . '' Jane Velez-Mitchell says the Chris Brown-Rihanna relationship sends a bad message to young people . NEW YORK ( CNN ) -- Pop star Chris Brown has been charged with two felonies -- including assault -- in the Rihanna beating case . If convicted , Brown could face more than four years behind bars . The charges stem from the early morning of February 8 , when he and his girlfriend Rihanna reportedly got into a heated argument in his car hours before they were scheduled to appear at the Grammy 's . What police say happened next shook the entertainment world . A Los Angeles County affidavit says Brown gave Rihanna a vicious and continuous beating . He allegedly started by shoving Rihanna 's head against the passenger window , then punched her in the face numerous times while still driving . The beating reportedly splattered blood on Rihanna 's clothing and the car interior . The report goes on to say that in between barrages of punches , Brown placed Rihanna in a headlock and bit her ear -- still driving , mind you . After stopping the car , Rihanna says Brown again put her in a headlock . She said she began losing consciousness and as she fought back , he bit her finger . Days later , a gruesome police photo of Rihanna leaked to the media and it showed her with a bruised , scratched face and a split lip . It was clear evidence of a continuous pummeling , not some impassioned slap in the heat of the moment . Perhaps even more shocking than these grisly details are reports that this may not have been Brown 's first time abusing Rihanna . According to TMZ , Rihanna told the LAPD that Brown had attacked her several times in the past , and the assaults were gradually becoming more violent . Yet less than a month after this ordeal , Rihanna has apparently forgiven him . Amazingly , according to an unidentified source quoted by People magazine , Brown called Rihanna on her 21st birthday and the two then reunited for some time together at Sean `` Diddy '' Combs ' Miami , Florida , mansion . Through her lawyer , Rihanna asked a judge Thursday not to prohibit Brown from having contact with her while he faces the felony charges of assaulting her . Before the reported reconciliation , Brown attended anger management classes , according to the New York Daily News , even though legally he did n't have to . Sure , it 's a positive step , but come on , Rihanna ! Nobody can change that quickly . Rihanna and Brown 's punch drunk love is sending a dangerous message to their young fans . And do n't tell me children are n't paying attention , because they are both up for Kid 's Choice Awards on March 28 . Rihanna 's apparent quick forgiveness for the alleged pummeling sends the worst possible signal -- namely , that this sort of behavior is just par for the course when it comes to male-female relationships . When you look at the numbers , it is certainly more prevalent than we 'd like to admit . According to a study by the Centers for Disease Control , 5.3 million women are abused annually in the United States . An American Bar Association survey found that about one out of four American women are raped or physically assaulted by a current or former partner at some point in their lifetime . But there is some progress . The Department of Justice 's Bureau of Justice Statistics found that intimate partner abuse rates in America have steadily declined since 1993 . Yet the Rihanna beating shows just how much ground we still must cover . As much as I sympathize with her , I think Rihanna herself may have to go to classes . Her reported reunion with Brown enables his allegedly abusive behavior and is , in my opinion , a classic case of battered woman 's syndrome . If she is going back to Chris Brown so soon , Rihanna is putting herself at risk and seems to be falling into the brutal cycle of powerlessness , fear and low self esteem that often accompanies abusive relationships . And it sends a message to Brown that he does n't have to change . iReport.com : Chris Brown fans : Share your reaction . If the reconciliation is real , Rihanna is also setting a dangerous example for other abused women . Unfortunately , despite her incredible looks and talent , I think she is now the poster child for battered woman 's syndrome . Our society must stop this cycle of helplessness that traps abused women . We must give them the help they need to escape the abusive spiral . But women must begin holding their loved ones to a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to violence . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Jane Velez-Mitchell .
Jane Velez-Mitchell : Singer Chris Brown facing felony charges for beating . She says his girlfriend Rihanna reportedly has reconciled with Brown . Velez-Mitchell : The case sends worst possible message to young people . She says women must have zero-tolerance policy on domestic violence .