Understanding Verbal Abuse:

One of the most overlooked forms of child abuse is verbal abuse.

The reason for this is clearly the fact that verbal abuse is underreported because the harms caused by verbal abuse are not external and fall along the psychological line, making it very difficult to assess any numbers on this. However, this is largely supported by the perception or misunderstanding that verbal abuse can masquerade as “tough love” or “child discipline.”

This is a very ignorant perspective that causes substantial damage to the psychological health of the victim. Although this is largely unnoticed because the wounds are not as visible as those from child physical abuse or neglect.

However, the behavior patterns are very obvious and pose a great threat to the child’s future.

Imagine for yourself, if you are a child and get yelled at for a mistake or two. What would be the result? Yes! He will be too afraid to do anything for fear of being scolded if he makes a mistake.

This in turn results in a chain reaction that makes the child not participate in activities of interest to him for fear of being yelled at if he is not compatible with the family or society.

While this doesn’t seem like “much” directly, when compared to violence, the effect this can have on relationships, careers, and future mental well-being is disastrous.

Verbal abuse can be defined as follows:
insult a person
yell at a person
demoralize a person

I’ll start by stating the short-term effects of verbal child abuse:

Short term effects:

1.) depression

Yelling and demoralizing a child causes him to link all events to a negative outcome. Please note that I am not stating the exact scientific terms and definitions for the layman’s understanding here.

Among several other things, the child is very likely to assume that he is inferior to his acquaintances.

2.) Poor physical and mental performance

Children need confidence to perform to the best of their potential.

For example, if a parent says ‘you can do it, you can win this race.’ I trust you’, then the child would automatically assume victory and considering that there would be no alternative options (doubts) in his mind, he is likely to do the best he can regardless of the outcome.

However, if a child is told “you have to be faster, you can’t win like that, you just don’t have it in you, do something else”, then at this point the child will be mainly nervous because a bad outcome is predicted. for him.

At this point the child may instinctively decide to lose in order to prove his parent right given that it is the ‘suggested outcome’, thus a possibility in his mind.

3.) Inferiority Complex:

The child who is yelled at directly assumes ‘there must be something wrong with me’ and therefore puts himself below his friends and feels inferior to them.

Because it has been suggested to him by comparison or demoralization that he is ‘not up to the task’ and this means ‘someone else is up to it’ and therefore also makes the child submissive.

Long-term effects:

1.) Health Disorders:

Depression in childhood causes what is known as a “chain of substitution” in which, in order to satisfy their pleasures, the sufferer may overeat or perhaps not eat enough during their adolescence.

This directly results in stunted growth or underdevelopment of many vital organs, muscles, and bones.

This makes the system considerably weaker against illness and injury.

2.) Low Confidence and Dominance:

We have to consider that Adults require qualities of Confidence and Dominance for a healthy sexual life. The absence of which can cause sexual frustration that can result in depression and other problems such as excessive anger and frustration.

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/08/05/pennsylvania.gym.shooting/

The example above is George Sodini, who often complained about not “having sex” as well as his anger at the world for abandoning him.

Please note that I am not saying that victims of verbal abuse become similar cases, but simply that confidence and a positive attitude from a young age could prevent such cases.

3.) Susceptible to addictions:

Often what keeps us from abusing drugs or alcohol is the drive or ambition to achieve something.

Also, if you look at simple economics, hungry people will pay for food.
Depressed people will pay for the intoxication to free themselves from reality.

There have been several studies linking depression to drug abuse and it is not difficult to understand this as there is simply nothing to stop a depressed or low-confidence person from turning to drugs and alcohol.

The previous article was a researched thesis on verbal abuse and its effects. I will write something along the lines of prevention of verbal abuse in the future.