Many men and women are interested in ways they can avoid becoming involved in a relationship with an abuser.  Following is a list of behaviors and attributes that are most commonly seen in people who batter intimate partners:

Jealousy		Playful use of force in sex
Controlling	Verbal Abuse
	Dr Jekyll and Mr./Mrs. Hyde personality		Demands partner account for all of his/her time
Blames others for his/her problems		Isolation of a partner from family and/or friends
History of battering of current or past partners	Threatens or gives ultimatums	Breaking or striking objects
Hypersensitivity	Disregard or cruelty to children and/or animals
	Unrealistic expectations	Believes in rigid roles for men and women
Initially, batterers will try to explain away their behavior as a sign of love and concern.  This may be flattering at first, but will become more and more severe in time.  Attempts to control the victim will become more forceful and obvious.