Confide in a trustworthy advisor, mentor, friend or relative. And check out the resources in the Resources section. You don't have to suffer in silence. You don't have to be trapped. Here are some statements that a lot of people believe.
Victims bring on abuse themselves.
They ask for it. Abusers believe they have the right to use abuse to control their victims. They see the victim as less than an equal. If someone stays in an abusive relationship, it must not be so bad. Men are battered by women just as often as women are battered by men.