Studies suggest most harmful deception is used by a small percentage of the population. So, it is safe to say dishonesty beyond polite shading of the truth (e.g., "your haircut looks great") or white lies that benefit the other person (e.g., when planning a surprise party) should be scrutinized closely.

According to the National Domestic Violence Hotline, Intimate Partner Violence (IPV), Dating Abuse, Relationship Abuse, and Domestic Violence (DV) are used interchangeably to refer to the same pattern of destructive conduct, in short "behaviors used by one partner to maintain power and control over another partner in an intimate relationship." If you might be at risk of IPV, find help at thehotline.org. For immediate emergency call 911.

In emotional blackmail, a partner takes advantage of your emotional vulnerabilities to pressure you into doing something for them that you otherwise would not. One study calls it “a type of psychological violence” that “is often more harmful than physical and verbal violence.”