Child maltreatment.
Many children across the world face abuse in various forms. They include sexual abuse, verbal aggression, physical abuse, and witnessing domestic violence. All these affect the wellbeing of a child and could result in psychiatric symptoms. According to the study, the effects of verbal abuse could last longer than other forms of abuse. Many children are exposed to more than one type of abuse, which produces an enduring impact on the development of the brain.
However, the article focuses mostly on verbal abuse. The article also downplays the effects of sexual abuse in comparison to verbal abuse. In my view, all forms of abuse have adverse effects. Sexual abuse, for instance, can be traumatizing, especially because it usually comes from the people one trusts, and it is not easy to forget. While discussing the results, the article does not put it in a way that is easily understandable by everyone.
The method used was a questionnaire that was given to young adults to assess their exposure to verbal abuse by parents. The results showed that verbal abuse had as harmful effects as sexual abuse and domestic violence but higher than those of familial, physical abuse. The exposure to multiple forms of abuse had more substantial adverse effects than the sum of individual abuse. The number of different types is a critical factor in psychiatric symptoms.
I have had encounters with verbal abuse growing up. They were terrible experiences that are very unfair to an innocent child. I have also heard the encounters of friends who were exposed to sexual, physical, and emotional abuse. Some who were sexually abused are scarred to be physically and emotionally attached to others, as trust is a common issue. It is, therefore, necessary to protect children from all forms of abuse for them to be mentally at peace.