Editing Psychological abuse (section)

== General definition ==
[[Clinician]]s and researchers have offered different definitions of psychological abuse.<ref name="Emotional Abuse3">{{Cite journal|last1=Thompson|first1=Anne E.|last2=Kaplan|first2=Carole A.|date=February 1996|title=Childhood emotional abuse|journal=[[British Journal of Psychiatry|The British Journal of Psychiatry]]|volume=168|issue=2|pages=143–148|doi=10.1192/bjp.168.2.143|pmid=8837902|s2cid=8520532}}</ref> According to current research the terms "psychological abuse" and "emotional abuse" can be used interchangeably, unless associated with psychological violence.<ref name=":023">{{Cite book|last=O'Leary |first=K. Daniel |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pv6XIjT4MpUC&dq=psychological+abuse+in+relationships&pg=PR9|title=Psychological Abuse in Violent Domestic Relations|date=2004|publisher=Springer Publishing Company|isbn=978-0-8261-1146-3|language=en}}</ref> More specifically, "emotional abuse" is any abuse that is emotional rather than physical. It can include anything from verbal abuse and constant criticism to more subtle tactics such as intimidation, manipulation, and refusal to ever be pleased. This abuse occurs when someone uses words or actions to try and control the other person, to keep someone afraid or isolated, or try to break someone's self-esteem.

Emotional abuse can take several forms. Three general patterns of abusive behavior include aggressing, denying, and minimizing; "Withholding is another form of denying. Withholding includes refusing to listen, to communicate, and emotionally withdrawing as punishment."<ref>{{cite web|year=2007|title=Emotional abuse|url=https://www.counselingcenter.illinois.edu/self-help-brochures/relationship-problems/emotional-abuse/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141120190029/http://www.counselingcenter.illinois.edu/self-help-brochures/relationship-problems/emotional-abuse/|archive-date=20 November 2014|access-date=8 November 2013|publisher=Counseling Center, [[University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign|University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign]]}}</ref> Even though there is no established definition for emotional abuse, emotional abuse can possess a definition beyond verbal and psychological abuse. Blaming, shaming, and [[name calling]] are a few verbally abusive behaviors that can affect a victim emotionally. The victim's self-worth and emotional well-being are altered and even diminished by the verbal abuse, resulting in an emotionally abused victim.<ref name="HelpGuide">{{cite web | last1 = Smith | first1 = Melinda | last2 = Segal | first2 = Jeanne | title = Domestic violence and abuse: signs of abuse and abusive relationships | url = https://www.helpguide.org/articles/abuse/domestic-violence-and-abuse.htm | website = helpguide.org | access-date = 14 February 2015 | date = December 2014 }}</ref>

The victim may experience severe psychological effects. This would involve the tactics of brainwashing, which can fall under psychological abuse as well, but emotional abuse consists of the manipulation of the victim's emotions. The victim may feel their emotions are being affected by the abuser to such an extent that the victim may no longer recognize their own feelings regarding the issues the abuser is trying to control. The result is the victim's self-concept and independence are systematically taken away.<ref>{{Cite journal | last1 = Mega | first1 = Lesly Tamarin | last2 = Mega | first2 = Jessica Lee | last3 = Mega | first3 = Benjamin Tamarin | last4 = Harris | first4 = Beverly Moore | title = Brainwashing and battering fatigue: psychological abuse in domestic violence | journal = North Carolina Medical Journal | volume = 61 | issue = 5 | pages = 260–265 | date = September–October 2000 | pmid = 11008456 }} [https://www.familytx.org/research/Psy%20Abuse.pdf Pdf.]</ref>

The [[U.S. Department of Justice]] defines emotionally abusive traits as causing fear by [[intimidation]], threatening physical [[self-harm|harm to self]], partner, children, or partner's family or friends, destruction of pets and property, and forcing [[isolation (psychology)|isolation]] from family, friends, or school or work.<ref>{{cite web | last1 = National Domestic Violence Hotline | last2 = National Center for Victims of Crime | last3 = WomensLaw.org | title = Domestic violence | url = https://www.justice.gov/ovw/domestic-violence | website = justice.gov | publisher = [[United States Department of Justice|U.S. Department of Justice]] | date = 2014-07-23 }}</ref> More subtle emotionally abusive behaviors include [[insult]]s, putdowns, arbitrary and unpredictable behavior, and [[gaslighting]] (e.g. the [[denial]] that previous abusive incidents occurred). Modern technology has led to new forms of abuse, by text messaging and online [[cyber-bullying]].

In 1996, [[Health Canada]] argued that emotional abuse is "based on power and control",<ref name="EAbuse Canada">{{cite web |url=https://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/ncfv-cnivf/familyviolence/html/fvemotion_e.html |title=What is Emotional Abuse? |publisher=[[Public Health Agency of Canada]] |access-date=27 January 2019 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050407201522/http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/ncfv-cnivf/familyviolence/html/fvemotion_e.html |archive-date=7 April 2005|date=2011-07-04 }}</ref> and defines emotional abuse as including rejecting, degrading, terrorizing, isolating, corrupting/exploiting and "denying emotional responsiveness" as characteristic of emotional abuse.

Several studies have argued that an isolated incident of verbal aggression, dominant conduct or jealous behaviors does not constitute the term "psychological abuse".  Rather, it is defined by a pattern of such behaviors, unlike [[physical abuse|physical]] and [[sexual abuse|sexual maltreatment]] where only one incident is necessary to label it as abuse.<ref name="Besharov, D. J. 1990">{{cite book | last = Besharov | first = Douglas J. | title = Recognizing child abuse: a guide for the concerned | publisher = Free Press Collier Macmillan Maxwell Macmillan | location = New York Toronto New York | year = 1990 | isbn = 978-0-02-903081-3 | url = https://archive.org/details/recognizingchild00besh }}</ref> Tomison and Tucci write, "emotional abuse is characterized by a climate or pattern of behavior(s) occurring over time ... Thus, 'sustained' and 'repetitive' are the crucial components of any definition of emotional abuse."<ref>{{Cite journal | last1 = Tomison | first1 = Adam M. | last2 = Tucci | first2 = Joe | title = Emotional abuse: the hidden form of maltreatment | journal = National Child Protection Clearing House | volume = 8 | date = September 1997 | url = https://www.aifs.gov.au/nch/pubs/issues/issues8/issues8.html | access-date = 9 January 2024 | archive-date = 10 July 2014 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140710133520/http://www.aifs.gov.au/nch/pubs/issues/issues8/issues8.html | url-status = dead }}</ref> [[Andrew Vachss]], an author, attorney, and former [[sex crime]]s investigator, defines emotional abuse as "the systematic diminishment of another. It may be intentional or subconscious (or both), but it is always a course of conduct, not a single event."<ref>{{cite news | last = Vachss | first = Andrew | title = You carry the cure in your own heart | url = https://www.vachss.com/av_dispatches/disp_9408_a.html | work = [[Parade (magazine)|Parade]] | publisher = Athlon Publishing | date = 28 August 1994 }}</ref>