*Research Aim*

The present study sought to identify the abusive typologies experienced by victims of DV, aiming to identify and understand the factors that lead victims to stay in the abusive relationship and barriers to help-seeking or to leaving that abusive relationship, as well as the challenges that it implies. In this sense, seeking to understand the victim's reasons and the process inherent to the decision to remain in or leave an abusive relationship, is essential for the support provided to DV victims, as well as to mitigate the consequences/effects that may arise for their welfare. Although there are already some Portuguese studies documenting the disturbing indicators of DV among young people in Portugal (e.g., Caridade 2018; Guerreiro et al. 2017; Machado et al. 2010; Neves et al. 2016; Santos and Caridade 2017), specific studies conducted with DV victims are scarce in the context of Portuguese reality. In addition, other Portuguese studies (e.g., Cerejo 2014; Pinto 2018) that have attempted to analyse the reasons for maintaining or leaving abusive relationships mainly focus on marital relationships.
