Reply #7: Abusive relationships span all gender groups. [View All]

[Porcupine]

I can't say I can understand or explain abusive relationships. I do know that they span all types of pairings and gender groups. There are abusive relationships where women hit thier male spouses; I worked with a guy once whose wife beat him. There are abusive relationships in lesbian relationships. Go figure.

A woman in an abusive relationships stay for complex and poorly understood reasons. Some women leave "normal" relationships in order to pursue abusive relationships. It seems some women will choose to stay in such relationships even while in contact with counselors and with shelter available. I can only say that women should be supported once they choose to leave.

Abusive relationships do not dictate the power exchange in "normal" relationships. In those power exchanges women frequently come out ahead.