Featured Discussion 36

Hurtful Words: Verbal Abuse May Cause Profound Emotional Harm

Findings from a study published this summer in the American Journal of Psychiatry raise new questions about different forms of child abuse and their relative impact on mental health. In particular, the findings raise the possibility that verbal abuse during childhood can have an impact on mental health that is equal to, or even greater than, other forms of abuse that may be thought of as more damaging.

The study participants, who were young adults, were asked about their childhood exposure to verbal abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, and domestic violence (seeing someone else physically abused). Participants were also assessed for current symptoms of anxiety, depression, anger-hostility, and dissociation.

Some of the study’s most striking findings centered on childhood experiences of verbal abuse and its association with current psychological difficulties. Notably, the study found that the mental health impact of verbal abuse appears to be comparable to the impact of witnessing domestic violence or the impact of being sexually abused by a non-family member during childhood. More surprisingly, the study suggests that, in terms of producing difficulties in the area of anger-hostility, verbal abuse may have a stronger impact even than the experience of sexual abuse by a family member.

The study also examined the association between various combinations of childhood abuse and current mental health difficulties. Findings suggested that children who experience both verbal abuse and domestic violence may be more prone to symptoms of depression and anxiety even than children who are sexually abused by family members.

The authors of the study conclude with the warning that verbal abuse is “a potent form of maltreatment,” and that “…combined exposure to less blatant forms of abuse may be just as deleterious as the most egregious acts.”

Because the study relied on young adults’ self reports of childhood experience, the findings do not prove that there are causal connections between abuse and psychological difficulties. Nevertheless, the findings suggest that there is an urgent need to understand more about the consequences of verbal abuse, and to educate parents and other adults about the deep psychological scars that may be left by hurtful words.

We invite you to post your thoughts on this topic below. Here are some possible topics for commentary:

• Have you experienced verbal abuse or treated victims of verbal abuse? Do the study’s findings reflect what your experience tells you?
• What might this study imply for practice or policy in mental health or child welfare?
• How might the study’s findings impact thinking about parenting?

Your thoughts…

Comments:

One question you might want to ask these people is why do they focus on
stigma only as a barrier to treatment? Why aren't they concerned about
the stigma which prevents persons from having professional jobs, participating in society, having friends and a social life? Why only on treatment? This shows that the focus of these alleged compassionate corporate interests is only on
increasing the client base.
Why aren't they concerned about the stigma in the media? Or among
the police and the courts? Why not have a course at journalism schools
about this bias? They are deceiving the public by focusing on stigma as a bar to treatment. Where about the stigma that denies people basic rights under state and US constitutions? Among journalists, public officials the stigma is strongest. But these alleged advocates against stigma remain silent on that.
They are exploiters of the stigma for corporate purposes. They are
advocates for treatmnet no different than NAMI. And they get funds from
the US taxpayer.
Posted Friday, September 22, 2006 at 03:05 AM

I think it all depends on the situation and the maturity level of the child. And yes, parents do some times get stressed out and say things that they shouldn't, if they do do they say they are sorry for it later? Do they ever say they are sorry? Do they tell the child at times how good they are and how much they love them or is this just going to make it so no one can say any thing that a child doesn't like? I think that if we take away all the potential for discipline from parents that it can be very abusive, later on the police ect. do not care how they talk to people and if kids don't grow up with a modicum of respect they are not going to make it out in the world. Some times when we are little we think that others teachers, parents, health professionals, whoever is being mean to us and as we get older and look back on it we know that they did or said many things out of love and respect for us. I would be leery of using this to take children away from parents because that often damages and hurts a child far more in the long run. The system that the kids get placed into wants to drug them for attachment disorders when they cry to go home where they belong and isn't that cruel? Or they end up acting out once they become teenagers because the system has taught them a lack of respect for their parents. Twenty some thing years ago my son cried from the time he got to the day care till the time I went to get him, I didn't want to take him there, I was forced into that, but don't you think that affected him emotionally? We are often in a hurry to find ways to psychiatrically treat and drug kids when maybe some times they need to be left alone and raised by their parents and the parents need to be given the honest supports that they need instead of judged. It can be just as abusive if not more so to ignore our kids through silence and to work to much and leave them all by them selfs too many times. There are a lot of things that are hypocritical about all of this stuff. The major thing is it is done for profit, not for the real benefit of the children that it is being done too. It is not protecting them nor making them any better in life in most cases, it is hurting them. They will grow up one day and realize what was done to them was wrong and then I don't know what they might do. I think we have to be really careful when we look at this type of thing. That is just my thoughts on this. Do we really talk to our children enough so that they understand why they have to behave and do what we ask them to or why we got upset with them? Would they be better off if we just gave into them any time that they wanted us to? I think that all things should have a great amount of discretion and liberty. After all this is America and most of the people that are up there in age would have taken away from their parents in these days and times, but many of them became leaders and made this world into a pretty good place, they worked and took care of families and did the things that they needed to do to be a functioning and good part of this world. How many are really doing that now? Half of all Americans are disabled by psychiatric labels and receiving public assistance. I think we need to stop some of this not promote more. I am not sure what you all think or exactly if you all are thinking at all. I do know that being bullied can be a harmful emotional thing and it should be stopped, but then some people that thought it was funny to do are some of the best people in society running our businesses and churches and communities. It didn't affect them that they were the ones that were not being kind or nice or caring, it affected the ones that they bullied and many of them grew up okay though. So there must be a modicum of reasonability here don't we think? Posted Thursday, September 21, 2006 at 08:50 PM

I can remember a bully in high school back in the 1960's who scared me...not because of anything he did, but what and how he said nasty little digs and namecalling. It used to be the old "sticks and stones" response to that kind of behavior, but I always thought that never made sense since I found it to be very hurtful and intimidating. To me, this report is hardly rocket science or timely...it's common sense. If we treat people badly through actions or words we create bigger bullies than us or destroy the physche of the victims. Posted Wednesday, September 20, 2006 at 11:38 AM

When talking about my own abuse during childhood,I have often said that for me the verbal abuse was the worst. Bruises went away, but the pain left behind from consistanly being told I wouldn't amount to much never left. It is something that I struggle with especially after having my own children. It is constantly in the front of my mind. Posted Wednesday, September 20, 2006 at 10:11 AM

Having suffered from serious verbal abuse by a parent as a child, I can attest to the life-impacting effect it has had on me. I am in my late 40's now and have struggled to overcome feelings of unworthiness all my adult life. It has improved a great deal over the years as I have become conscious of the damaging self-talk I have given myself as a result of these experiences. I now know logically that I am not unworthy, but the emotional aspect is still always with me and something I fight against daily.
Posted Wednesday, September 20, 2006 at 09:48 AM

This study validates what I have always know about myself. I was terribly verbally abused as a child. I am 40 now, and still suffer from horrible self esteme issues and inadiquacy.
LW Posted Tuesday, September 19, 2006 at 08:31 PM

Of course one would want to see if these results
were borne out in studies with different, stronger
designs. But if the results did hold up, it does raise
interesteing questions about how we would assess
the adequacy of a child's home and how we would
define abuse that is worthy of some form of
intervention. It could definitely complicate a lot of
work that is done in child protection. Posted Tuesday, September 19, 2006 at 07:45 PM

I do not question the findings of the study, but it would be very useful to know the definitions of "verbal abuse" utilized by the researchers. Is the mother who consistently and openly refers to her son as "dumb-dumb" or "doo-doo head" or talks about his "MI" in his presence . . . included as abusive along with the drunken father who calls his daughter fat and worthless? I honestly don't know, but the definitions used in the study would give more clarity to the findings. Posted Tuesday, September 19, 2006 at 07:11 PM

In a way, this information does not surprise me at
all. I think this has a lot of implications for how we
think about adequate parenting-- merely telling
people not to hit is not sufficient. Parents need an
attitude toward their children that precludes acting
like bullies either verbally or physically. Posted Tuesday, September 19, 2006 by karen123 at 06:28 PM

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