{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,11]],"date-time":"2026-03-11T22:30:37Z","timestamp":1773268237379,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":43,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2020,5,15]],"date-time":"2020-05-15T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1589500800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Social Sciences"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The decision to stay or leave an abusive relationship is multifactorial and frequently involves a cyclic process involving several phases. This article presents a qualitative analysis regarding the reasons and barriers to stay or leave an abusive dating relationship, as well as the challenges that it implies. A semi-structured, in-depth interview was used to collect data from thirteen dating victims, aged 17\u201330 years and mainly female (n = 12). The emotional and affective dependence of the partner and the belief that behaviour may change emerge as the main reasons presented by the victims to remain in an abusive relationship. Shame, fear of losing the partner, and failure to recognize the abusive relationship were reported as the main barriers to leave the abusive relationship, thus making it difficult to seek help. Understanding reasons to stay in, or barriers to leave, an abusive relationship is fundamental to promoting help-seeking behaviours in victims of dating violence (DV), particularly in the case of young people, since it has serious implications in the developmental pathway of this age group.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/socsci9050084","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2020,5,15]],"date-time":"2020-05-15T10:53:59Z","timestamp":1589540039000},"page":"84","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":7,"title":["Stay or Leave Abusive Dating Relationships: Portuguese Victims\u2019 Reasons and Barriers"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"9","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0387-7900","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"S\u00f3nia","family":"Caridade","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Human and Social Sciences, University Fernando Pessoa (UFP), 4249-004 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"Permanent Observatory Violence and Crime (OPVC), University Fernando Pessoa (UFP), 4249-004 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"Interdisciplinary Center for Gender Studies (CIEG), Higher Institute of Social and Political Sciences, University of Lisbon (ISCSP-UL), 1300-663 Lisboa, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4960-349X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"In\u00eas","family":"Pinheiro","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Human and Social Sciences, University Fernando Pessoa (UFP), 4249-004 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2198-6740","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Maria Alzira Pimenta","family":"Dinis","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Permanent Observatory Violence and Crime (OPVC), University Fernando Pessoa (UFP), 4249-004 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"Faculty of Science and Technology, University Fernando Pessoa (UFP), 4249-004 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"UFP Energy, Environment and Health Research Unit (FP-ENAS), University Fernando Pessoa (UFP), 4249-004 Porto, Portugal"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2020,5,15]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"476","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jpeds.2007.04.034","article-title":"Long-term impact of adolescent dating violence on the behavioral and psychological health of male and female youth","volume":"151","author":"Ackard","year":"2007","journal-title":"Journal of Pediatrics"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Ameral, Victoria, Reed, Kathleen Palm, and Hines, Denise (2017). 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