Verbal Abuse

Verbal abuse is probably the most common form of abuse exercised today, but it is also one form of abuse that is not publically recognized. Children experience verbal abuse at the hands of their parents, school mates and others; growing up thinking it is a normal way to behave. As adults, they then exercise this type of abuse on others they interact with, because it is what they know.

Most abusers grew up in abusive homes and learned to deal with life this way. This is not an excuse for their behavior, but it is a reasonable explaination.

For example: my second husband grew up watching his mother being abused by his father. Therefore, he learned how to be an abuser from his father. His mother was so caught up in the whole mess that she believed the abuse suffered by me at the hands of her son, was a normal part of a relationship, and that I was over-reacting to it all.

Verbal abuse includes things such as name calling, put-downs, threats of any kind, harassment, mocking, etc.. Non-verbal abuse can encompass a great deal more without reaching the point of violence. Things included in this realm are behaviors such as destroying someones property, threats and intimidation, restriction of movement, personal restrictions outside the relationship, isolation, financial dependence, and anything that diminishes the other person's self-esteem, or makes them afraid.