No one should be in an abusive relationship. However there are lots of forms of abuse.
If you are just talking about hitting someone--guys shouldn't hit girls. But also, women shouldn't use that to their advantage. Women shouldn't hit men either.
I've met some incredibly violent women in my life and I have to say if a woman is going completely mad and there is no other way for a man to defend himself against an attack what choice does he have but to strike the woman?
I also disagree that domestic violence in all cases should result in the ending of the relationship. In some cases a couple is just very volatile and this can't be got over, in these cases the relationship should end I agree. But it's not always as cut and dry as that, I know several people myself included who have managed to stop cycles of violence in relationships and be happy afterwards.
A man should never hit a women and a women should never hit a man.
My sister was involved in a violent relationship, her boyfriend used to hit her often. But now he doesn't, they are still together but it is not working. She is making plans to move up here with us and if he follows the police will be contacted and he will be put in jail straight away. He often burns her stuff, and sometimes she gets so mad she go's up to him and just jumps on him and starts punching him, it is quite amusing but its serious.
I don't feel sorry for her boyfriend, i hate him and he deserves all those punch's. She is getting him back for what he did to her years ago.
A man should never hit a woman. Which is not to say you shouldn't defend yourself. I think men, who by and large, are physically stronger than women should be able to defend themselves by doing something other than hitting. It is also not acceptable for women to go around hitting men.
Abusive relationships are not healthy for anyone. And there are lots of forms of abuse--besides physical.
I don't see how it's okay at all for anyone to be abusive toward anyone in a relationship. If people really love each other, then there should be no abuse involved. The problem is, some people just crave power and control, and they will go about any means to achieve that. There are women who have done that to men, and men who have done that to women. So the proportion of women who abuse men to men who abuse women, might be more equal than people realize.
And the woman is more likely to report it once she comes to terms with the fact that she isn't dealing with your average man--she is dealing with a man who will bully her to get control of her. But men aren't as likely to report because the whole shebang could come back on them, even though these men are the REAL victims.
Play fights in my opinion don't count, me and my girlfriend do that all time and we are always telling each other we gonna beat the crap out one another, but she knows I would never truly hit her in a way that would do her harm.