But, you may have died by then. Tolerance of victimization, in my experience, is often viewed as cowardness, even if it is not. Turning the table around let's the other understand what you are going through. Good communication is important and can help the other, I would think. Being passive in the face of abuse can be wise in some circumstances. But fighting back bad behavior helps the assailant understand there may be something wrong with what he or she does. And the exercise you get in fighting back may be better for your health more than just taking the abuse and not risking any escalation. To me, one should use one's own judgement here.