I have the good fortune to have never been hit by anyone, parents or partners, purely because they felt I deserved it or for no reason. Sure I received smacks as a child but they were always due to me misbehaving and anyways, my mum shouting at me was enough to make me cry...she really was terrifying to me, she didn't have to resort to smacking or hitting me very often. 😉
I admire anyone that has had the strength to suffer at the hands of a violent abuser or any abuser for matter. Kudos to you all for being strong. I have had friends that have had, and one that still does put up with domestic violence from their partner and chooses to live in fear rather than leave him, having never gone through it myself I really find it hard to understand how they put up with it but the fact that they are not admitting it happens and actually defending their partners actions, ie blaming themselves for being hit, I just really struggle with.
I guess it depends on the type of person you are and how frightened of your partner you are and I cannot make judgements when I have never been in their situation but I will admit to finding it hard to sympathise when someone allows themselves to be treated like that. I know it's not that black & white, I just can't help that think if they wanted to get out they would find some way of doing it. I guess it's because I would never put up with it and a man would only have to hit me once and I would be out the door, no looking back.