Couples I know have been through a cycle. The cycle of abuse is very common among abusive couples (“Cycle of Violence,” n.d.). The cycle can vary from couple to couple, but usually contains four phases: the accident, the tension or argument, the reconciliation and the happy phase. The incident phase is when an event occurs that triggers the abuser's anger and he or she sees it as justification for abusing their partner. Sometimes, after the abuse, the abuser apologizes or tries to make up for his actions in different ways and reassures the victim that this will not happen again (“Cycle of Violence,”