Emotional abuse includes a wide range of behaviors. Name calling, insulting, criticizing, controlling, and aggressive nature is all considered as emotional abuse. The Journal of Emotional Abuse says that this kind of abuse is not studied properly. However, emotional abuse can a serious effect on the victim’s life and cause them to be depressed. It can affect school, work and future relationships for adults and children. It is considered to be a potent type of abuse.

The frequency of emotional abuse is very high in the society. It is more common that sexual and physical abuse put together. Because of the lack of awareness towards emotional abuse it is often under reported. As per the USC Department of Social Work, just seven percent of emotional abuse cases were brought to the notice of the US Department of Health and Human Services in the year 2007. As per to the Journal of Emotional Abuse, it is unlikely that a victim realizes that he or she is being emotionally abused. They often think that they deserve the treatment and are, in most cases, silent sufferers.

Emotional abuse does not show any physical marks unless there is violence involved, but it does scar the persons psyche and also damages their self esteem.

Emotional abuse is divided into 6 types of abusive behavior. They are:

• Rejecting
• Disallowing emotional response
• Terrorizing
• Isolating
• Degrading
• Exploiting

The USC School of Social Work says that terrorizing the victim is perhaps the most common abusive behavior. This is a direct form of abuse and the abuser threatens the victim to control them. This might threaten the well being of the victim also. The victim is terrorized and made to agree to the abuser’s demand. Rejection is a kind of behavior where the victim is devalued, not respected and also treated inferior as compared to the other family members. Isolation is another behavior where the victim is made to cut off from their friends and family. This can actually have a deep psychological impact on the victim. Degrading is another form of emotional abuse where the abuser uses name calling, insults and criticism to degrade the victim. Degrading can also happen by withholding love and affection from the victim. Victims are often treated as objects and not as people.

There are even direct as well as indirect forms of emotional abuse. Sometimes the victim can realize because of the name calling and insults and sometimes they do not understand like when the abuser withholds love and affection. The abuser uses the victim’s dependency to get their wishes. They may use any tactic like withholding sex, speech and even acknowledging the victim’s presence.

More Articles :

• Defending Against Emotional Abuse
• Recognizing Emotional Verbal Abuse
• Understand Emotional Abuse And Silent Treatment
• What Is Emotional Abuse ?