Verbal Abuse: Its Underlying Determinants, Consequences and Prevention
What is Verbal Abuse?
Although, the specific definitions of verbal abuse vary from one author to another, behaviors that are generally subsumed within the context of verbal abuse refer to behavior such as ridiculing and teasing, name calling, or yelling at the child. Verbal abuse therefore is a form of abuse that involves upbeat name calling, sarcasm, ridicule, body shaming, unnecessary criticism etc.
Verbal and psychological abuse is more prominent in developing countries but can’t be ruled out of the developed countries. This behavior is a serious problem among students due to their inherent dangers. Psychological and verbal abuse in schools could inhibit students from going to school due to the fear of being intimidated or harmed. Abuse in school can as well hinder students’ academic achievement. This is because if students learn with fear due to intimidation and harassment received either in the classroom or outside, their level of concentrations and assimilation may decline and this may result in academic underachievement. It therefore becomes imperative that every necessary measure should be taken so as to eliminate or mitigate psychological and verbal abuse in our secondary schools.
Drivers of Verbal Abuse
1. Parents/ Guardians or caregivers
2. Immediate or extended Family
3. Child
4. Society
Parents/ Guardians or caregivers
Most times parents who had earlier experienced verbal abuse tend to replicate their experiences, wrongly terming this as discipline. Most times they tend to exaggerate this, leading to a consequential response from the affected person.
Immediate or extended family
Specific life situation of some families such as marital conflicts, domestic violence, single parenthood, unemployment, financial stress, and social isolation may increase the like hood of psychological and verbal abuse among children.
Child
Children are not responsible for being victims of maltreatment; certain factors however, can make some children more vulnerable to maltreating behavior. The child age and development-physical, mental, emotional, and social may increase the child’s vulnerability to psychological abuse.
Society
Societal factors include environmental influences, antisocial vices, poverty and unemployment, social isolation, and community characteristics. It is reiterated that most parents or caregivers who live in these types of environments are not abusive.
Consequences of Verbal abuse
Study has indicated that verbally abused children are more likely to be aggressive toward themselves and have a pessimistic view of their future; they are also more likely than children experiencing other types of abuse to be at risk of running away and attempting suicide. Children who are verbally abused tend to be withdrawn and educationally disadvantaged. Timidity is also a consequence.
Verbal and psychological abuse is more prominent in developing countries but can’t be ruled out of the developed countries. This behavior is a serious problem among students due to their inherent dangers. Psychological and verbal abuse in schools could inhibit students from going to school due to the fear of being intimidated or harmed. Abuse in school can as well hinder students’ academic achievement. This is because if students learn with fear due to intimidation and harassment received either in the classroom or outside, their level of concentrations and assimilation may decline and this may result in academic underachievement. It therefore becomes imperative that every necessary measure should be taken so as to eliminate or mitigate psychological and verbal abuse in our secondary schools.
Prevention of verbal abuse
In Orphans and vulnerable children projects, there is a component called Protection. In the author’s experience, Child Protection has a lot of bodies that regulate reports and act upon any feedback as relating to any form of child abuse. Also, in the communities support groups such as kids clubs, Caregivers’ forums, Community Child Protection Committees can be formed, where children are taught life building skills, parents are counseled an lectured on parenting skills, community leaders and opinion leaders meet to discuss means of averting child protection issues. There is also a need to strengthen a reporting framework where cases of verbal abuse are reported, possibly via a Complaint Response Mechanism CRM, as well as Government policies that will augment laws to tackle these issues.
Also verbal abuses can be prevented if doctors during consultations incorporate this during interview sessions. Also teachers in schools as well as parents at home can also help to evaluate their wards from time to time. It is very necessary for a Child-Parent relationship, teacher-pupil/ students relationship to be formed to avert any effect of verbal abuse.
