2. Verbal abuse.
Physical abuse isn’t the only type of abuse that a child can endure; a child can also be subjected to verbal abuse, and this type of abuse can also have severe and lasting repercussions as the child progresses into adulthood. Children can be verbally abused by their mothers, fathers, grandparents, aunts, uncles, teachers, or anyone else who has a predominant role in their lives. Examples of verbal abuse can include, but are not limited to the following:
- name-calling
- condescension
- constant criticism
- manipulation
- threats of violence or other types of harm
- blame; adults can blame children for their faults or things that are going wrong in their lives
- demeaning comments; comments that are intended to put them down
Exposure to verbal abuse can damage a child’s sense of self-worth, and that damage can continue throughout the rest of their lives and lead to severe problems in adulthood.