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6.0 WHY DEAL WITH VERBAL ABUSE?

The current thinking is that verbal abuse may be the worst of the three principle abuse categories: physical, emotional and verbal.

Why? Because memories of physical or emotional intimidation may fade, but insults can often be remembered word for word. I still remember dozens and dozens of things that my 1st wife said to me over thirty years ago, for example.

Verbal abuse is also bad, because it is with words that we communicate, negotiate and share. If communication in a relationship is not working, then the relationship is essentially dysfunctional. And it does not matter whether that relationship is man-wife, parent-child, partner-partner.

In addition most forms of abuse have a verbal component. Physical abuse is usually proceeded by insults and arguments, emotional abuse is often communicated with words, sexual abuse is accomplished with seductive words, intellectual abuse is achieved verbally, social abuse often involves gossip and insults and child abuse can have a verbal dimension.

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