Understanding verbal abuse:

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

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

This is a very ignorant perspective that causes substantial damage to the psychological health of the victim. Although this is largely unnoticed because the injuries 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 kid and get yelled at for a mistake or two. What would be the result? Yeah! You will be too afraid to do anything for fear of being scolded if you make a mistake.

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

Although this doesn’t sound like “much” directly, but compared to violence, the effect this can have on relationships, career, 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 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 their full 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, it is likely that he would do his best 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 mostly nervous because a bad result is predicted. for him.

At this point, the child may instinctively decide to lose in order to prove his father right since it is the ‘suggested outcome’, therefore 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 ‘doesn’t measure up’ and this means ‘someone else does measure up’ 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, to satisfy their pleasures, the sufferer may overeat or perhaps undereat during their teens.

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 like 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 “getting laid” 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 trust and a positive attitude from an early age could prevent such cases.

3.) Susceptible to addictions:

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

Also, if we 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’s not hard to understand this, as there is simply nothing to stop a depressed or low-confidence person from getting into drugs and alcohol.

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