Some of my had-to-live-it-to-learn-it advice - if you have to ask a guy you're in a hereto relationship with if he has ever (full-on) hit a girl because you just aren't sure how he's going to answer the question ... don't waste the time asking, just get the hell out of there. His answer might be no, but you shouldn't date someone you have to ask to be sure. (Side note: yes, there are a few extreme situations where a guy hitting a girl might be 'necessary' - girls can become violent and self-defense and so on : but the point in general stands.) Also, don't date someone hoping he or she is the exception to a "rule," for instance the rule outlined above. Also-also, you can always do better than someone who has committed a crime, especially a violent or threatening one, and gone to jail. (See above comment about "always exceptions" and "don't plan for exceptions.") This rule becomes somewhat less applicable as time between present and crime/jail increases, but this lessening also depends on "what crimes."