There was a time where interactions between men and women were so simple.Back when marriage negated the need to purchase an actual punching bag and housewives were invariably treated like undomesticated animals.Through the ardent work of progressive women’s rights agencies, women have witnessed significant social progress through the abrogation of many repressive laws.But based on a few incidents that have taken place in today’s social climate, one could certainly argue the egregious treatment of women hasn’t waned as much as we had hoped.On Feb. 12, television entrepreneur Muzzammil Hassan, 44, went to a police station in Orchard Park, N.Y., to report his wife, Aasiya Zubair Hassan, was dead.Authorities discovered the body had been decapitated and left in his Bridges TV office. Hassan was immediately arrested and indicted for second-degree murder.Ironically, Muzzammil Hassan founded the Muslim-American television station to combat negative stereotypes by casting Islamic people in a more positive light.Reports indicated Mrs. Hassan had filed for divorce earlier in the week and concomitantly obtained an order of protection from her husband. Hassan’s case is currently being reviewed by the Buffalo judicial system.A similar tragedy occurred six months prior in England.In October, Wayne Forrester, 44, was sentenced to life in prison for savagely murdering his estranged wife.Forrester told police he killed his wife because he noticed she changed her Facebook status from ‘married’ to ‘single’ a few days after he moved out.The day before the murder, Forrester called his wife’s parents and complained her Facebook status “made him look like a fool,” according to the BBC.Investigators said Forrester was intoxicated and high on cocaine when he assaulted the mother of two in her sleep. Autopsy reports claim the victim was severely beaten and stabbed multiple times in the head and neck.Facebook users typically acknowledge such over-sensitive feelings as comical. But evidently these new facets of media can extract the worse from people.And then, of course, there’s Chris Brown.By now almost everybody has heard about Brown’s alleged beat down of girlfriend Rihanna on the eve of the Grammy Awards.Days after the incident, photos surfaced online depicting Rihanna’s excruciatingly swollen face moments after the violent exchange. Rumors speculate the altercation emanated from the female singer’s alleged infidelity.Later that night Brown turned himself into Los Angeles Police and was released on $50,000 bail. MTV reports now indicate the two stars appear to have reconciled.While radio listeners might argue Rihanna’s music inflicts more physical agony than Brown’s fist ever could, their violent encounter represents an ongoing struggle in society.Between one-third and one-half of adult women are beaten by their husbands or lovers at some time. Yet only 14 percent of American women acknowledge having been violently abused by a husband or boyfriend, according to  the U.S. Bureau of Justice.These surveys also indicate nearly half of these violent crimes against women aren’t even reported to the police.Relational tension between the sexes isn’t anything new.But when these egocentric   power struggles transform into absolute tragedies — as evidenced — it’s time for women to take heed.The University offers self-defense classes that physically empower female students while educating them on a variety of safety maneuvers. Educational class like R.A.D. teach women important defense techniques that could potentially prove to be life saving.To compensate for the inanity of many males, women must be willing and able to physically lay down the law when necessary.That’s why the time to take preventive action is now.Scott Burns is a political science and business sophomore from Baton Rouge.—-Contact Scott Burns at [email protected]