Do you think verbal abuse can cause as much damadge as physical if not more?

Question

Self explanitory. Also what do you think it will cause in the child's future.

I hope I didn't offend anyone.Considering I got a thumbs-down on this question.

Answer 1

I will tell you my story. My dad hit me but those marks cleared up long ago..He verbally abused me and at 35 years old I still remember the words he used. Today, i have low esteem, depression, not good around other men at all..I am always suicidal..I feel that I can never be good enough for anyone and that nobody loves me. I feel stupid, weak and like I deserve anything that happens to me. (that's what I heard growing up). I have been on drugs and have gone out of my way MOST of my life to get people to love me...Maybe I answered both of your questions.

Answer 2

Yes, I believe that, short of life threatening abuse, it can be just as damaging... if not more so. You see... a person who has been hit KNOWS that action is not condoned by the law and/or by the general public. However, the person who is verbally abused, emotionally damaged, or neglected may not be able to either identify a specific action by the abuser or relay the problem to another in a way that elicits a helpful response.

Believe it or not, even a person who is drowning in abuse may not feel it is actually abuse unless he/she can identify an action or behavior that is specifically "wrong" or "unjust." Just being "unkind" doesn't seem strong enough reason to an abused person to label the action as abuse. And the line between "unkind" and "abusive" in the case of verbal abuse, etc, can be pretty obscure. For that reason, a person can live with and adjust to life in an abusive situation.

The problem here is that a person begins to get a mixed up opinion about what is "OK" and what is NOT. He/she may feel that they are receiving treatment that they actually deserve, that their behavior is causing the abuse, or that they are not worthy of "nice" treatment. These feelings can follow them throughout their lifetime, effecting their opinions about and behaviors towards themselves and, yes, even their own families, loved ones, and acquaintances.
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jonmcn49's has a really good point. Any abuse is damaging for a lifetime. One type of abuse cannot categorically be considered more damaging than another.

Answer 3

Verbal

Answer 4

Verbal abuse is much more powerful that physical abuse. My mother verbally abused me when I was younger, therefore I don't have a relationship with her. She called me stupid, idiot all the time on a daily bases like 5 or more times a day. She called me rat...and anything else in the book. I learned to hate her, because she never showed me any love.

Answer 5

YES!
My 2nd husband was an alcoholic. We were married for 3 years.
He was never physically abusive, but the verbal abuse and the drunken sloppiness was too much. He did,once, try to hit my daughter for something that was minor and I blocked her bedroom doorway with my body and refused to let him in. There was no way he was going near her.
He had no intentions of sobering up, so I decided that my daughter (from my 1st husband) and I deserved better than that. That was many years ago. Last I heard, he moved to northern Calif. to live with his mom and she kicked him out!
My daughter (now 27) and I are doing wonderful now, she even blessed me with a grand-daughter. (now 7 years old)

Answer 6

I think it can cause much more damage. If you are physically abused the worst that can happen is you die. With verbal abuse you have to live with that torment in your head for the rest of your life. Both are wrong though.

Answer 7

I do believe that verbal abuse is at least as repugnant as physical abuse and leaves much more damaging scars. I believe that children that experience verbal/emotional abuse grow up to feel that they are quite "as good as other" and some of them pass along their abuse in the same or other forms, physical and criminal.

Answer 8

verbal abuse is just as damaging as physical if not worst. with physical abuse you can block any punches by putting your arms up to protect yourself. however, with verbal abuse you are left in the open with no way to protect youself. you know that you are being hurt right away with physical abuse because you can feel pain. with verbal abuse you may not know what's happening to you until your self esteem in gone. and self-esteem is hard to get back once it's gone.

Answer 9

What ineffable nonsense. What makes you think that getting abused physically is any less damaging to a persons emotional well being than verbal abuse. How typical of you social scientists not to look at the evidence, but respond in you usual, ideological, PC manner. Do you people think before you answer, or is it all knee-jerk response for you?

Answer 10

Physial abuse will heal one day and scars will go away but verbal abuse will always be pinching in the heart year after year.