Search Results for: blog verbal abuse

Portrait of an Emotional Abuser: The Stand-Up Comic

“Jane’s such an airhead, it’s a wonder she doesn’t float away completely!” “Did you hear what Bob over in engineering did the other day? He was so busy figuring up his gas mileage, he ran out of gas!” “Like Shirley really deserved that raise! Like she’s so hard-working! The only thing she ever worked hard for around here is making the most of her coffee breaks!” “What a moron Joe down in the garage is! The only way he’s gonna move up in the world is to climb on top of a car!” The stand-up comic is just that – … Continue reading →

How Emotional Abuse Steals Your Sense of Security

At the most basic level, emotional abuse robs you of your sense of security and value. In an attempt to bring order out of chaos, even the regularity of abuse can be substituted for a sense of what is normal. One of the deepest needs of children is for consistency, including the certain knowledge that they are unconditionally accepted and valued by those who love them. Small children crave the repetitive, constant nature of certain stories in which the same words or phrases are used over and over again. Children know what to expect, anticipate with delight the coming use … Continue reading →

Physical Abuse Can Go Both Ways

We all know that it’s not right for a man to hit his wife. There are all kinds of protective agencies and laws in place, shelters for abused women, support groups that meet both online and in person. This is how it should be, but what about marriages in which the wife is abusive to the husband? It does happen. Most of the time, the husband is physically stronger than the wife, and if he’s the abuser, he can inflict a lot more damage. He can break her arms and ribs, give her concussions and bruises, and even cause wounds … Continue reading →

Verbal Abuse?

Recently I looked at the question of whether one should stay in a situation of abuse, even verbal abuse. But what do you think about when the term verbal abuse comes to mind? What constitutes verbal abuse? For some people I know it has been a husband who yells at them and makes them feel worthless and small by their derogatory comments. They are made to feel nothing they do is right and they are virtually a waste of space. Verbal abuse shows the other person has little or no regard for the feelings of their spouse. Even if these … Continue reading →

Alhohol Abuse in Single-Parent Teens

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Studies have shown that children who are raised in single parent households are at a higher risk of developing alcohol-related problems. This could possibly be due to low supervision, inconsistent discipline, poor communication, or conflicts within the family. Teens with the highest risk of developing alcoholism are girls, those who begin drinking prior to age 14, and those with a parent who suffers from alcohol-related problems. Alcohol contributes to a number of problems, including an inability to pay attention, the risk for developing alcoholism, car-related deaths, higher risk for suicide, greater possibility of engaging in unprotected sex or sex with … Continue reading →

Verbal Abuse is Abuse

When one hears the word abuse or someone who has been abused, they usually think of someone with bruises and broken bones. Yet abuse can go much deeper than the skin and bones. Abuse does not have to be a physical attack. It can be a mental and an emotional attack. Abuse does have to hurt the body, it can also hurt the mind and the sole. Many people, including husbands, do not consider words to be abusive. As the saying goes “stick and stones…” However, words can be very hurtful and harmful. Many women are in an abusive relationship. … Continue reading →

How Do I know if a Child is Being Abused?

Every parent’s fear is that their child will be abused. There are four different types of abuse: Neglect, Emotional, Physical and Sexual. There are common physical and behavioral signs that may indicate any of these types of abuse. The presence of one of these signs does not necessarily mean abuse or neglect. When I am assessing for likelihood of abuse, I look for clusters of the signs. If I see many of the signs together, I begin to suspect abuse and I report to a Government body (Police or Welfare) who can investigate and protect the child. Although every family’s … Continue reading →

Education A to Z: S for Safe From Verbal Abuse

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My Education A to Z blog series is now at the letter S. S for safety from verbal abuse. Many schools are implementing or have implemented curriculum and consequences that teach about physical violence and keeping one safe from it. What schools need to remember is that words hurt too, sometimes worse than fists. While the bruises heal after a physical confrontation, the words that may have been spewed out often haunt a child for years to come. What can schools do to keep children safe from verbal abuse or put-downs? How about adding this to the physical violence safety … Continue reading →

Parents Petition to Put Cameras in Classrooms

There is a growing movement of parents who want to have cameras placed into Special Education classrooms. Students who are non-verbal cannot tell their parent what happened at school, but the cameras would be able to record the events for them. The presence of a camera could prevent situations where students are abused by the teacher. Earlier this year, Stuart Chaifetz started getting notes sent home from school with his son, Akian. The notes said he was having violent outbursts at school, which was very unlike him. Akian has autism, and has difficulties with verbal communication, so he couldn’t simply … Continue reading →

Losing It in Public

Overheard at the zoo last week: Mom to tweenage son: “Knock it off, Caden! We’re not in a video game.” Tweenage boy attempting to trip younger sibling: “You’re going down.” Mom: “Caden! Knock! It! Off!” Boy: “DOWN!” And that’s exactly where the younger sibling went. Flat on his face, courtesy of the tweenage boy, right in front of the polar bear exhibit where my daughter and I happened to be standing. Unfortunately, we had front row seats to the mama drama. And the show was far from over. In fact, it was just beginning. Once the mom saw her younger … Continue reading →