Your partner might say he does things because he loves you so much. But if your partner is abusive towards you, this is not part of love or loving behaviors. It’s common for abusers to combine love with abusive behaviors in order to Support hurting the people around them. Knowing what an abusive relationship looks like: 1. Know the definition of an abusive relationship. An abusive relationship describes a relationship where one person constantly uses tactics to psychologically, physically, financially, emotionally, and sexually control and have power over another person. It can be difficult to identify an abuser when you care about them. While not all abusers are the same, some exhibit similar characteristics: a. History of abuse and violence in childhood. b. Controlling c. Inflexible and judgemental d. May suffer from alcoholism or drug addiction. 2. Recognize characteristics of an abuser. Everyone is different, but physically abusive partners tend to have certain characteristics that contribute to the cycle of violence and control. 3. Arm yourself with information about abuse. Domestic violence and abuse is more common than people generally expect. This has significant short- and long-term health implications for the victims.