Emotional or psychological abuse Emotional abuse often coexists with other forms of abuse, and it is the most difficult to identify. Many of its potential consequences, such as learning and speech problems and delays in physical development, can also occur in children who are not being emotionally abused.
Emotional abuse may be the most damaging form of maltreatment due to causing damage to a child's developing brain affecting their emotional and physical health as well as their social and cognitive development (Heim et al. 2013).
Emotional abuse is often a part of other kinds of abuse, which means it can be difficult to spot the signs or tell the difference, though it can also happen on its own.
Physical or sexual abuse may be easier to identify, as they often have physical evidence and a clear incident to reference. Emotional abuse is more often characterized by a pattern or collection of behaviors over time that can be difficult to recognize.
Why is emotional abuse the most difficult to deal with? Any form of abuse that inflicts pain, suffering, deprives one of his or her trust in people, can be hard to deal with and heal from. However, emotional abuse is the one kind that can slowly and steadily empty one's soul and make them feel stranded.
Physical injuries and severe neglect are more readily detectable than the subtle, less visible injuries which result from emotional and sexual abuse and bullying.
Psychological abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, social abuse, and financial abuse are all types of family bullying that can occur, with psychological abuse being the most common form.
Emotional abuse targets a person's feelings, it uses emotions to manipulate, punish, and achieve control. Rather than personal sentiments, mental abuse focuses on questioning and influencing a person's way of thinking and views on reality. Psychological abuse can cause a person to question their environment.
Emotional or psychological child abuse is a pattern of behavior that impairs a child's emotional development or sense of self-worth. This may include constant criticism, threats, or rejection, as well as withholding love, support, or guidance.
Emotional abuse involves nonphysical behavior that belittles another person and can include insults, put down, verbal threats or other tactics that make the victim feel threatened, inferior, ashamed or degraded.
Many people who are victims of emotional abuse are not aware they are being abused or are in a toxic relationship. It is interesting to note that the most common type of abuse is emotional; and all abuse, sexual, physical, financial, etc., is emotionally abusive.
Some of the most common forms of abuse in adults include:
Emotional Abuse and Psychological Abuse. Neglect. Self-neglect. Financial or Material Abuse.
Physical, sexual, and emotional abuse are some of the most known types of abuse: Physical abuse is when someone hurts another person's body. It includes hitting, shaking, burning, pinching, biting, choking, throwing, beating, and other actions that cause physical injury, leave marks, or cause pain.
Types of domestic violence or abuse
psychological. physical. sexual. financial.
Emotional abuse can lead to C-PTSD, a type of PTSD that involves ongoing trauma. C-PTSD shows many of the same symptoms as PTSD, although its symptoms and causes can differ. Treatment should be tailored to the situation to address the ongoing trauma the person experienced from emotional abuse.
Emotional abuse can have severe and long-term effects on someone's mental health. Prolonged emotional abuse can lead a person to develop very low self-esteem and self-worth. It can also cause someone to question their decision-making skills and feel they may not be able to trust their own instincts.
The feeling of being powerful and in control gives some abusers immense pleasure. Abusers may also derive pleasure from seeing you suffer. Narcissists, psychopaths, and sadists may be drawn to emotional abuse because of the pleasure they take in having power over others or seeing them suffer (Brogaard, 2020).
You may experience feelings of confusion, anxiety, shame, guilt, frequent crying, over-compliance, powerlessness, and more. You may stay in the relationship and try to bargain with the abuser or try to change the abuser's behavior, often placing blame on yourself, even though you are not at fault.
Abuse mainly occurs within the close social environment
In all of these cases, it is especially difficult for children and adolescents to get help if the perpetrator is held in high esteem by the parents or is a person who is respected by the family.
All victims should be able to access appropriate support. Whilst both men and women may experience incidents of inter-personal violence and abuse, women are considerably more likely to experience repeated and severe forms of abuse, including sexual violence.
Abuse and neglect can occur anywhere: in your own home or a public place, while you're in hospital or attending a day centre, or in a college or care home. You may be living alone or with others. The person causing the harm may be a stranger but, more often than not, you'll know and feel safe with them.
Young people in their teens and twenties are more vulnerable than older Australians to image-based abuse, according to recent research. Both men and women can be victims or perpetrators. However, women are more likely to: experience image-based abuse from a partner or ex-partner.
For both women and men with disability, those with intellectual or psychological disability were the most likely to experience partner emotional abuse (12% for women and 6.8% for men).