We carried out the present study in an NGO which works women, who are victims of violence in the municipality of Duque de Caxias, the CDVida - Centro de Defesa da Vida ( Center for Protection of life), from Aug to Dec 2004. Our aim was to identify the trajectory of life of these women, the reasons which led them to stay so long in situation of violence, the fact which contributed to breaking the silence, and in which moment they decided to look for help.The data found in the institution files, of a demographic profile of 60 women, trated in the first semester of 2003, revealed the great number of women who remained in situation of violence, after long living together. Starting from this initial study, we chose to interview some women, victimized by their intimate partners, and who were still under treatment by the technical team of CDVida, aiming at understanding the reasons for remaining so long, living with their violent partners. The information colleded from interviews made it possible to know the perception of the women in relation to the violence suffered: the consequences of this, and the hardships found in breaking up the relationship.The analysis of this information led us to understand that domestic violence between intimate partners is characterized in a very special manner, since it involves, besides the ties of intimacy and affection, in most cases, the presence of children of the couple, who suffer in the same way as their mothers, the consequences of violence. Furthermore, we concluded, from this analysis, that ending with violence means ending with the own dynamics of its cycle, which controls and paralyses the woman. To end up this cycle, it is necessary that the woman is not only supported to overcome her individual difficulties, but also find institutional answers in order to carry out thoroughly her rights as citizens.