A Virginia Commonwealth University professor who has studied domestic violence says she’s not surprised at the recent flurry of assaults by players in the National Football League.

Nor, Dr. Nicole Lee says, is she shocked that Janay Rice stood by her then-fiancé and NFL star running back Ray Rice after he knocked her out in a hotel elevator in February.

“I think domestic violence is more a product of our society today,” Dr. Lee, an assistant professor at VCU’s School of Social Work, told the Free Press. “I think it happens a lot in other sports as well.”

She said Monday she learned about the suffering caused by domestic violence as a research specialist for the YWCA of Greater Richmond and with the state medical examiner’s office prior to joining the VCU faculty four years ago. Her focus was on domestic violence in communities of color.

“I think it has happened behind the scenes for years and years,” Dr. Lee said. “But because of the technologies we have, the public is more aware of it and has raised a national outcry.”

She said the NFL should seek to better educate itself about domestic violence and “develop more preventive strategies” to combat it.

Dr. Lee also said the league must “acknowledge the problem and really punish some players who may be successful” to help prevent future beatings.

She theorized that Mrs. Rice defended Mr. Rice for the same reason she said other members of the African-American community sometimes fail to report domestic assaults. They fear getting friends or family caught up in the justice system or having them terminated from jobs or hurting their chances for employment, she said.

“You have to understand the historical context of what communities of color have endured,” Dr. Lee said. “She (Mrs. Rice) also had a lot of benefits in staying with him,” she added.

Dr. Lee said it’s time for society to act to put the brakes on domestic violence.

“Domestic violence is prevalent,” she said. “We often see it, but we don’t acknowledge it. In order to solve a problem, you have to admit it occurs and take action to help prevent it.”

Dr. Lee said the African-American community in Virginia has been hardest hit by domestic violence.

“Members of communities of color have a higher rate throughout their lifespan of being killed by a family member or intimate partner,” she said.

Fatima Smith, a spokesperson for the YWCA of Greater Richmond that assists victims of domestic abuse, said 161 adults and 80 children involved in domestic incidents stayed at the organization’s emergency shelter from July 1, 2013, through June 30, 2014.