It also arises when one partner tries to maintain power and control over the other through abuse or violence, for example when a relationship has broken down.
[1] Dating violence crosses all racial, age, economic and social lines.
The Centre for Promoting Alternatives to Violence describes abusers as being obsessively jealous and possessive, overly confident, having mood swings or a history of violence or temper, seeking to isolate their partner from family, friends and colleagues, and having a tendency to blame external stressors.
[3] Meanwhile, victims of relationship abuse share many traits as well, including: physical signs of injury, missing time at work or school, slipping performance at work or school, changes in mood or personality, increased use of drugs or alcohol, and increasing isolation from friends and family.
However, Capaldi's research only focused on at-risk youth, not women in general, and, therefore, may not apply to the entire population.