Emotional/Verbal Abuse

What is Emotional/ Verbal Abuse?
Emotional abuse can happen to anyone at any time in their lives. Children, teens and adults all experience emotional abuse. And emotional abuse can have devastating consequences on relationships and all those involved. Just because there is no physical mark doesn’t mean the abuse isn’t real.

Emotional Abuse includes any non-physical behaviors that can affect a person negatively; such as:
– threats
-insults
-constant monitoring or “checking-in”
-excessive texting
-humiliation
-intimidation
-isolation
– stalking
-placing guilt
-shaming

Common Signs of Abuse:
The Abuser will typically:
• Yell or swear
• Name calling or insults; mocking
• Threats and intimidation
• Ignoring or excluding
• Isolating
• Humiliating
• Denial of the abuse and blaming of the victim

Although there is no physical evidence of emotional abuse, the abused typically will have these adverse effects:

Low self-esteem
Negative self- image, “nobody likes me”
Careful about every move made and word spoken, “walks on egg shells”
Self-destructive acts such as cutting, or reckless activities
Antisocial behavior, including aggression, delinquency and interpersonal problems
Children may have delayed development physically, socially, academically, and emotionally as a result of abuse.

Who is a victim?
Anyone can be a victim of verbal abuse, men, women, the young and old.
Children who are abused are more likely to become victims again later in life, become abusive themselves, depressed and self-destructive later in life, and develop anxiety.
More men are abused by their female partners than most people realize, and is facilitated by the woman falsely accusing or threatening to accuse a man of assault on them or their children. The woman threatening to take away custody of the children, and to kill themselves or others.

Who is the abuser?
The abuser can also be anyone, but we can distinguish that they are coworkers, coaches, teachers, patents, spouses, boyfriend or girlfriend, school mates, children, care givers, family members.

The Nurses’ Role

When suspecting abuse, the nurse or anyone else should contact authorities, such as:

CPS professionals will evaluate the report, and if they deem it necessary, they will send someone out to talk with the alleged abuser.
Childhelp USA National Child Abuse Hot Line at (800) 422-4453
Child Protective Services (CPS) agency to report it.

The National Domestic Violence Hotline

  • Call 800-799-SAFE (7233) or 800-787-3224 (TDD).
  • Staff are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
  • More than 170 languages are available.
  • You will hear a recording and may have to wait for a short time.
  • Hotline staff offer safety planning and crisis help. They can connect you to shelters and services in your area.
  • Staff can send out written information on topics such as domestic violence, sexual assault, and the legal system.
  • You can get help through email on the hotline’s contact page.

The National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline

  • Call 866-331-9474 or 866-331-8453 (TDD).
  • Staff are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
  • You will hear a recording and may have to wait for a short time.
  • You can get help through a live online chat from 5:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m. (Eastern Standard Time). Learn more about the National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline live chat.
  • You can ask questions through email at the helpline’s contact page.

Are you in an abusive relationship?
Do you….
1. feel afraid of your partner much of the time?
2. avoid certain topics out of fear of angering your partner?
3. feel that you can’t do anything right for your partner?
4. believe that you deserve to be hurt or mistreated?
5. wonder if you’re the one who is crazy?
6. feel emotionally numb or helpless?

What can you do?

  • Leave the relationship, if possible
  • Tell others about the abuse
  • Keep evidence of abuse for possible legal actions
  • Not retaliate

 

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