Emotional Abuse

Emotional Abuse—California Penal Code Section 11166&b;

Emotional abuse is defined as when a person causes or permits a child to suffer unjustifiable or significant mental suffering. 

Emotional Abuse—Federal Guidelines

• Acts or omissions by parents or caretakers that have caused, or could cause, serious behavioral, cognitive, emotional or mental disorders. 
• Some acts, do not leave evident harm to the child but warrant reporting, such as extreme or bizarre forms of punishment, such as locking a child in a closet. 
• Emotional abuse is almost always present when other forms of abuse are identified 

Emotional Abuse

• Belittling 
• Blaming 
• Sarcasm 
• Rejection 
• Corruption 
• Screaming 
• Humiliation 
• Threatening 
• Name calling 
• Unpredictable responses 
• Child exposed to domestic violence 
• Isolation of the child from social contacts 
• Deliberate withholding of love and affection 
• Child placed in restraints, caged or severe confinement 

Indicators of Emotional Abuse in the Child

• Withdrawn, seeks isolation or is unresponsive 
• Overly rigid or passive 
• Repetitive, rhythmic movements 
• Sleep, eating or speech disorders 
• Learning problems 
• Destructive to self or others 
• Poor self-image and esteem - may unwittingly say “I’m bad…my daddy tells me so.” 
• Hungers for attention and affection 
• Failure to Thrive Syndrome 

Indicators of Emotional Abuse in the Parent

• Has unrealistic expectations of the child - developmentally, educationally or emotionally 
• Enforces unusual penalties or vaguely sinister punishment - it is one thing to place a child in time-out in their room for five minutes, and another to place a child in time-out in a locked closet for five minutes 
• Uses child to satisfy their own ego needs 
• Describes the child as bad, different, worthless or evil  
• Refers to the child as “It” 
• Uses child as a battleground for problems