Emotional Abuse
Alternate Names : Psychological Abuse, Mental Abuse, Verbal Abuse
Emotional abuse occurs when a person uses words or
actions to make another person think less of himself or herself. It may
be accompanied by physical abuse
or sexual abuse.
What is going on in the body?
Emotional abusers control their victims in these ways:
Cause their victims to feel lonely and isolated. This is done by
controlling what the victims do, what people they see and talk to, and
where they go.
Cause their victims to have negative feelings about themselves or to
feel degraded. This is done through insults, name-calling, making false
accusations, and playing games with the victims' minds.
Make sure their victims are financially dependent on them. The
abuser may control the finances so that the victim has little or no access
to money. He or she also will prevent the victim from getting or keeping a
job. The abuser may make the victim ask or beg for money.
Make their victims fear them by using violent looks or gestures or
by destroying property.
What are the causes and risks of the condition?
Emotional abuse usually occurs when one person wants
power and control over another person. Emotional abuse can affect any
age or gender. While there is no one type of person who is at risk for abuse,
certain factors do put some people at greater risk. These risk factors are
as follows:
being a drug
or alcohol
abuser or having a partner who is one
being a female, especially between the ages of 17 and 34
being in a marriage or relationship in which one person is more
dominant than the other
being in the first 5 years of a marriage or a live-in relationship
being pregnant
being socially and emotionally isolated
being unemployed
dealing with poverty, money problems, poor housing conditions, and
frequent moves
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