New research suggests yelling at children can be as harmful as physical or sexual abuse.
A study done by UK charity Words Matter wants to recognize childhood verbal abuse as a form of maltreatment.
Researchers from Wingate University and University College London (UCL) analyzed studies on CVA, finding that abuse involves “negative speech volume, tone, and speech content, and their immediate impact.”
The study identified parents, mothers, and teachers as the primary perpetrators of CVA.
According to UCL, the impact of CVA can endure into a child’s adulthood, causing “underlying emotional and psychological repercussions,” leading to issues like obesity, heightened anger risks, substance abuse, depression, and self-harm.
Researchers stress the need to enhance the definition of CVA, which currently falls under four categories of childhood maltreatment: physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, and neglect.
Childhood emotional abuse has observed an “increased in prevalence” over time, as noted in the study.
“Preventing the maltreatment of children is the most effective way we can reduce the prevalence of child mental health problems,” said study co-author and professor Peter Fonagy, head of the Division of Psychology and Language Sciences at UCL
“A sharp focus on childhood verbal abuse by adults around them by the new charity Words Matter and this review will help make significant change and support and direct our efforts to identify and respond to this risk in an effective and timely manner,” he added.
Researchers stress that recognizing CVA as maltreatment is a “starting point” to prevent it. They also highlight the need for educating adults about “the importance of safety, support, and nurturance during verbal communication with children.”
“Childhood verbal abuse desperately needs to be acknowledged as an abuse subtype, because of the lifelong negative consequences,” said lead study author, Wingate professor Shanta Dube.
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