Over 19,000 children were identified as needing protection from emotional abuse in 2017. Emotional abuse, also known as psychological abuse, is a pattern of conduct that harms the sense of self-worth of child and interferes with their emotional development. The individual who is emotionally abusing the kid may reject, criticize, threaten, belittle, and berate them, in addition to withholding love and support. They may also embarrass the child by calling them names and insulting them.Emotional abuse can also be defined as “any act that includes confinement, isolation, verbal assault, humiliation, intimidation, infantilization, or any other treatment which may diminish sense of identity, dignity, and self-worth.” This can have a significant effect on the mental health of a child. Some say physical abuse is more common and has the largest effect on children in the long run, which is why they tend to overlook emotional abuse. Emotional abuse and neglect, in fact, cause a huge amount of damage to the extent that the only way to heal would be through extensive therapy provided by professionals. People who suffer from emotional abuse tend to have very low self-esteem, show personality changes – such as becoming withdrawn – and may even become depressed, anxious, or suicidal.
In addition to emotional abuse, lack of emotional support may negatively influence the mental well-being of a child. Emotional support comes in a variety of forms. It includes being respectful, thoughtful, nice, supportive, and overall considerate. Nice words and kind actions are effective in improving well-being. “Emotional support is about helping to lift someone to higher ground so he or she can see their way through the difficulty.” Educating ourselves on emotional health can help us understand how children develop and shows us the most efficient ways to support their mental health. Mental health comprises of the psychological and emotional well-being of a person. Not receiving sufficient amounts of emotional support and being exposed to maltreatment can change how a person feels about themselves. Exposure to emotional abuse in the household, as well as inadequate emotional support levels from the parents, can have detrimental effects on the mental health and development of the child. While most people are aware that physical abuse does great damage on children, the idea that emotional neglect has just as strong effects needs to be recognized.
Mental Health
Witnessing domestic abuse has been correlated with manifestations of depressive symptoms. A study conducted by Russell, Springer, and Greenfield (2010) looked at the correlation between observing domestic abuse as a child and degrees of depressive symptoms prevailing into young adulthood. Over the years, research has shown that any form of abuse present in the household can act as “a risk factor for depression in adolescence and adulthood.”
The impacts of emotional abuse on the health and development of a child have been discovered in recent research by the American Psychological Association (APA). In fact, the APA has shown that children who are subjected to emotional abuse and neglect may experience more severe mental health problems than children who are subjected to physical or sexual abuse. Anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, PTSD, and suicidal thoughts can all be symptoms of prolonged emotional abuse in children. Emotional maltreatment in childhood is also linked to attachment issues and drug misuse. Moreover, when physical or sexual abuse is combined with emotional abuse, the consequences for the child can be devastating.Adults who have been emotionally abused as children are more likely to have health issues. According to a recent Purdue University study, childhood emotional trauma is connected to an increased risk of adult cancer.
Signs of Emotional Abuse
There are several ways to identify if a child has been or is being emotionally abused. These include –
- Symptoms of anxiety and/or depression
- Underperformance at school
- Delayed emotional development
- Acting out
- Loss of interest in social activities and social isolation
- Desire to hurt themselves or other people
- Desperately seeking affection from other adults and acting strangely to get what they want
- Low self-esteem and decreased self-regard
If you are an adult, you are in a position of power and authority. Particularly if you are an adult that works with or around children, it is important to educate yourself on the warning signs and take the appropriate action when presented with a related problem. Raising awareness on this topic can help us make this world a little bit easier for children to flourish.