The goal of the guilt stage is to reassure himself that he will not be caught or face consequences. The abuser makes excuses and blames the victim for his behavior. Common excuses usually revolve around the abuser being intoxicated or abused as a child. This makes sense to most people. However, alcohol use and being abused as a child does not cause the abuser to be violent.
Common victim blaming statements usually focus on the victim's behavior.
The goal of this stage is to abdicate responsibility for his behavior. This is a complicated stage. After an abuser is violent, he may become the thoughtful, charming, loyal and kind person the victim fell in love with. He may take her out to dinner, buy her flowers and convince her he will change. If the victim has visible injuries, she will have to explain how she got them.