BY JILLIAN DESOUSA // OCT. 15, 2012 //

Every little girl thinks she will someday meet her Prince Charming. A tall, handsome, wonderful man who will treat her like a princess and whisk her away to his castle, where they will live happily ever after…with 2.5 kids and a white picket fence.

Men are less likely to come forward about being controlled or abused in a relationship than women. // WWW.FREEPHOTOSBANK.COM

But one in every three American women will find another kind of prince—the Prince of Hell. The man who hits them, controls them, and makes their everyday life a living nightmare.

The guy might start out normal enough. He will be nice, bring you flowers on the first date, and will act polite toward your parents and friends. You think you just scored as your girlfriends tell you how jealous they are of your “perfect” boyfriend. Then, things start to change fast.

You catch him going through your cell phone or email without your permission. He has to know where you are, whom you are with and what you are doing when you are not with him.

He is jealous, possessive, suspicious, and has a violent temper. He isolates you from your friends and family. Lastly, he pushes, shoves, and grabs you, and calls you mean, nasty names that burn holes into your dignity.

Here’s another little fact: one in every nine men are in abusive relationships, though this number might actually be higher. Men are less likely to come forward about being controlled or abused in a relationship than women are because society conditions them to be the head of the family—to be the one in charge.

Whether you are a man or a woman, no one has the right to hit you or put you down, no matter what issue you think you might have caused. It is not your fault. No one deserves that kind of treatment. There are people who care—friends, family and supporters. These people will help you; you are not alone in this.

We can all put an end to domestic violence if we try hard enough. Let’s put a stop to these horrible acts.