Single Women Would Stay in Physically Abusive Relationship; Single Men Would Hit the Road

There’s nothing like a celebrity scandal to bring important issues to the forefront. With the alleged assault of R&B superstar Rihanna by her boyfriend, Chris Brown, everyone from Oprah to Dr. Phil has weighed in on abusive relationships. The statistics are shocking: women experience 572,032 violent victimizations a year and approximately 28% of those abusers are either husbands or boyfriends; men fall victim to 48,983 incidents a year. In a new poll by leading online dating website Date.com singles weighed in on whether or not they would reconcile with a loved one who was physically abusive.

“We were surprised to see that almost three times more women than men would be willing to stay in a physically abusive relationship if they either got an apology or if their loved one went for counseling,” said Shira Zwebner, Relationship Advisor for Date.com. “Whether or not Rihanna should have reconciled with Chris Brown is irrelevant, what’s important is that our members realize that abuse – both physical and emotional – is never okay. When faced with staying in a relationship with a physical abuser who cannot reform, we hope everyone realizes that sometimes love cannot conquer all.”

In a new survey of thousands of online daters nationwide, we asked: Rihanna and Chris Brown have dominated the news lately. According to reports, and some damaging evidence, Chris Brown physically assaulted his girlfriend. Apparently she has accepted his apology and they’ve reconciled. Do you think she should have taken him back?

Following are the complete results:

Men
Yes 12.5%
No 87.5%

Women
Yes 27.3%
No 72.7%

We also asked our members: If the guy/girl you were dating was physically abusive to you, would you take him/her back after an apology?

Following are the complete results:

Men
Yes> 12.5%
No 50.0%
If she got help 37.5%

Women
Yes 33.3%
No 11.1%
If he got help 55.6%

About Avalanche, LLC
Avalanche operates several leading online dating websites, including Date.com, Matchmaker.com and Amor.com. Date.com launched on Valentine’s Day 1997 and has become one of the world’s most popular dating websites. First started as a Bulletin Board System in 1986, Matchmaker.com is the oldest online dating site. It was acquired by Avalanche in 2006 and targets those singles seeking serious relationships. Amor.com, launched in 2007, is a rapidly growing destination for Hispanic singles. Avalanche hosts more than 10 million members worldwide, with the sites adding over 100,000 members each month. Additional information is available at Date.com.