In a work of fiction, there will be two people, most likely in a close relationship with each other, as parent and child, siblings, friends, or romantic partners. But unfortunately, one is abusing the other partner, either, emotionally, financially, physically, sexually, or a combination of some or all of these. The person may also be required to be in a certain place or institution, such as a school, that they have no choice but to be in, making them perfect captives for the abusive staff member(s) who work(s) there. Sadly, abuse is all too common in
Real Life and is a very serious and terrible thing. Fortunately, there are a significant amount of works that recognize this and treat it as such, but then there are those who downplay abusive behaviors and even portray it as funny or even romantic.
If you or someone you know is being abused, or you suspect someone you know is being abused, here are some websites and hotlines you can go to:
For information on how abuse and abusers present themselves in
Real Life, consult our handy
Abuse page in the
Useful Notes section. To look up characters who have been or are on the receiving end of abuse, consult
This Index Has Had A Hard Life.
Tropes
