I used to work at a call centre and guys would complain to me about their girlfriends hitting them or even throwing their shoes at them. I think people who are violent have always been around. Like criminals in every city. But it was strange that they needed validation that this was unacceptable behaviour and leaving their girlfriends was right. (These were non-muslims). I think in the absence of Islam there are many distortions in the way people think and behave.