Emotional/Verbal Abuse

Emotional abuse is abuse that is intended to hurt or destroy another’s feelings and emotional well-being. Emotional abuse is often referred to as verbal abuse. This type of abuse includes name calling, put downs, ridicule, belittling someone, and constant criticism. Another form of emotional abuse is referred to as psychological abuse. Psychological abuse is the constant intimidation and use of harassment to control someone’s thinking or behavior. There are often mind games and ‘crazy-making’ behaviors included as psychological abuse. The batterer will use emotional and psychological abuse as a means of control over the victim. When the batterer feels that this means of abuse is no longer effective he will often turn to physical abuse as a threat to re-enforce the control the emotional abuse has.