What is emotional abuse?

Emotional abuse is any attitude, behavior, or failure to act on the part of the caregiver that interferes with a child's mental health or social development.

Other names for emotional abuse are:

• verbal abuse
• mental abuse
• psychological maltreatment or abuse

Emotional abuse can range from a simple verbal insult to an extreme form of punishment. The following are examples of emotional abuse:

• ignoring, withdrawal of attention, or rejection
• lack of physical affection such as hugs
• lack of praise, positive reinforcement, or saying "I love you"
• yelling or screaming
• threatening or frightening
• negative comparisons to others
• belittling; telling the child he or she is "no good," "worthless," "bad," or "a mistake"
• using derogatory terms to describe the child, name-calling
• shaming or humiliating
• habitual scape goating or blaming
• using extreme or bizarre forms of punishment, such as confinement to a closet or dark room, tying to a chair for long periods of time, or terrorizing a child
• parental child abduction

Emotional abuse is almost always present when another form of abuse is found. Some overlap exists between the definitions of emotional abuse and emotional neglect; regardless, they are both child abuse.

Emotional abuse of children can come from adults or from other children:

• parents or caregivers
• teachers or athletic coaches
• siblings
• bullies at school
• middle- and high-school girls in social cliques

Some signs of emotional abuse

• Apathy
• Depression
• Hostility
• Lack of concentration
• Eating disorders

Psychological Consequences

The immediate emotional effects of abuse and neglect—isolation, fear, and an inability to trust—can translate into lifelong consequences including low self-esteem, depression, and relationship difficulties. Researchers have identified links between child abuse and neglect and the following:

·  Poor mental and emotional health. In one long-term study, as many as 80 percent of young adults who had been abused met the diagnostic criteria for at least one psychiatric disorder at age 21. These young adults exhibited many problems, including depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and suicide attempts (Silverman, Reinherz, & Giaconia, 1996). Other psychological and emotional conditions associated with abuse and neglect include panic disorder, dissociative disorders, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and reactive attachment disorder (Teicher, 2000).

·  Cognitive difficulties. The National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being recently found children placed in out-of-home care due to abuse or neglect tended to score lower than the general population on measures of cognitive capacity, language development, and academic achievement (2003).

·  Social difficulties. Children who are abused and neglected by caretakers often do not form secure attachments to them. These early attachment difficulties can lead to later difficulties in relationships with other adults as well as with peers (Morrison, Frank, Holland, & Kates, 1999).