In spite of physical, sexual or psychological abuse, many women in abusive relationships with men continue to view their partners as dependable, and some describe them as having positive traits such as being affectionate, according to a new study conducted by researchers at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto and Adelphi University in Garden City, New York. The study relied on survey data from the U.S. National Institute on Mental Health for 611 low-income women living in urban areas. Of those included in the survey, nearly 43% said that they had been abused by their romantic partner in the previous year. Of women who said they were abused, 54% characterized their partners as very reliable, and 21% said that their partners had many positive characteristics.
