There is an abuse that attacks a child’s heart and psyche instead of his body. An emotionally abused child can begin to cringe emotionally just as much as a physically abused child cringes physically. It most likely will not be as noticeable. That child may recoil emotionally for months or years before someone recognizes what it happening. The heart and emotions are not healed with medicine and treatment as the body is healed.
Emotional abuse strikes at the very center of a child’s self-image and makes them feel unworthy of anything good. Sometimes a child can reach the point that they don’t even know how to receive something good that may happen to them. They may even shut good out of their lives. It is difficult to understand by anyone who has not been repeatedly struck down emotionally.
What type of activities might make a child respond in this way?
- Rejection –When parents refuse to show an interest in their child, he is going to begin feeling unwanted or unnecessary. They might ignore his very presence, or they might ignore the interests of their child. Every child loves to show his parents things that he has achieved. Perhaps he colored a picture, or built a model, or won an award. He may play on a sports team or play an instrument. When a parent refuses to show interest in these things, the child feels rejected personally. Some parents may even take it further. They may isolate their child from interaction with others. They may even feel that they are helping their child by keeping him from the corruption of outside influences. However, soon that child begins to feel invisible. Without a word being spoken or a hand being raised, this child can be emotionally abused and scarred.
- Impropriety – Some parents do not have the discernment to protect their children from degrading influences of society. They allow them to watch anything on TV. They pay no attention to the video games they may be playing. They think nothing of using vile language in front of their children or allowing others to do the same. They allow all manner of corrupt activities to happen within view of their children. Again, without a mean word spoken directly to the child and without a hand being raised, a child is being scarred in irreparable ways.
- Intimidation – It is hard to comprehend, but sometimes a parent intimidates a child in order to control and manipulate them. The reasons for this may be many, but none of them give a valid excuse. Most often the reason are selfish. Whatever the underlying reason, a parent will use tactics to make a child respond out of fear and uncertainty. The tactics may be psychological as they attempt to manipulate the child with shame and embarrassment. They tactics may hint a physical abuse as a parent uses the threat of violence to compel a child to respond as requested.
Unfortunately, these types of tactics can be used for long periods of time without detection because they leave no bruises. Nevertheless, the child is mentally and emotionally abused and scarred. The recovery from this type of abuse is difficult.
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