Impact of Childhood Verbal Abuse

A recent study, published in the periodical “child abuse and neglect”, concludes that there is clear scientific evidence that a child’s exposure to maltreatment contributes to negative social behavioural, mental, and physical health across the whole of the child’s lifespan. 

There are four subtypes that fall into the definition of child maltreatment, namely:- 

1. Physical abuse

2. Sexual abuse

3. Emotional abuse 

4. Neglect

Sadly, childhood emotional abuse has increased in prevalence, and a key factor in this is the underlying adult to child perpetration of verbal abuse characterised by shouting, denigration of the child, and the making of verbal threats.

The research found that this type of abuse is as damaging as physical and sexual abuse, and yet there is much less attention paid to childhood verbal abuse perpetrated by adults as either a form of emotional abuse, or its own category of abuse.

The research concludes that the most common perpetrators of child verbal abuse are parents and teachers, and goes on to recommend that recognising child verbal abuse as a form of maltreatment should be the starting point for it's identification and prevention. 

Prevention must include adult training of the importance of safety support and nurturing during verbal communication with children.