This sure hasn’t been a great week in terms of domestic violence awareness. First Vanilla Ice was let off the hook after his arrest for hitting and kicking his wife last month. Unfortunately his wife refused to press charges. Now former NBA bad boy Dennis Rodman has been arrested as well. According to his lawyer, it can all be blamed on a drinking problem and a bad divorce. He does a pretty bad job trying to make Rodman look like the victim.

Former NBA star Dennis Rodman was arrested last night on suspicion of felony domestic battery. He was arrested at 11:00 PM at a Century City hotel and was released early this morning. Law enforcement tells us they charge suspects with a felony if there is evidence of injury, such as bruising or blood. Rodman was released on $50,000 bail today at 4:16 AM.

UPDATE: Rodman’s manager Darren Prince tells TMZ, “Last night Dennis and his girlfriend had too much to drink. When they returned to their hotel they started arguing and a minor altercation broke out where Dennis grabbed her by the arm and left a bruise.” Hotel security got involved and called LAPD, who responded and made the arrest. We’re told Dennis plans to enter a rehab facility immediately upon returning to Florida because — according to Prince — “his drinking has been escalating in the last six weeks due to a nasty divorce and not seeing his children in over two months.”

[From TMZ]

A bruise can still indicate some pretty rough, scary force, depending on the kind of bruise. Darren Prince makes it sound like it’s no big deal, and just a technicality. But when you hear about someone being beaten “black and blue,” it’s black and blue with bruises. Obviously that’s not what happened here as it sounds like Rodman’s girlfriend likely just had the one bruise on her arm. But my point is that you can get roughed up pretty badly and have bruises to show for it – lack of broken bones doesn’t mean what went on was some petty little domestic squabble.

Hopefully Rodman will get his ass into rehab – and it’d be great if the prosecutor on his case takes it more seriously than Vanilla Ice’s did.

Here’s Rodman at the Arby’s Action Sport Awards Show (yeah I laughed too) on November 30th, 2006. Images thanks to PR Photos.