Oh i get it, it's the old "accept anything if you want a man/want to keep a man" thing. I don't buy it.
Abuse is not cute. Dysfunctional relationships are not cute. Both situations are not only hostile, they're also stupid.
Verbal and/or physical abuse are serious and reveal REAL issues that both parties might have. You see the thing about a man hitting a woman (even if it's his first time) is that he's thought about it before. How do I know? Well you will never do anything in life without first thinking about it. It's human nature. So will he hit her again? Probably so and thus the cycle of abuse continues. So YES she's really stupid and desperate for staying with him.