Emotional Abuse As Damaging As Physical Abuse To A Child

patti patterson child abuse

"Sticks and stones will break my bones, But words will never hurt me."

 

Dr. Patti Patterson says this about that adage, "That’s absolutely not true. When it comes to children, emotional abuse can be just as damaging as physical abuse."

 

Dr. Patterson is a Texas Tech physician who is board certified in Child Abuse Pediatrics. She says emotional abuse can bring long-term consequences like depression, alcoholism, and drug abuse, among other problems.

 

So, even though child abuse is more easily recognized with burns and bruises, Dr. Patterson says hurtful words or the threat of bodily harm can trigger physical problems. "increased cortisone levels, glucose levels, your adrenaline – your fight or flight," she says, "if a child is always threatened, those actually go up and can lead to long-term consequences like high blood pressure or increased risk of diabetes."

 

So what about yelling at children? Would that be considered abusive? Dr. Patterson says some families are just loud and that’s how they communicate. The difference, she explains, is the intent or anger behind those words.

 

Click on the interview with Dr. Patterson and you might be surprised to hear more of the hurtful ways that children are often abused.

 

Those can include everything from neglect to sarcasm. She says children may not understand adult humor. So, repeated teasing, which may appear as playful to some, could be devastating to a child's self-esteem.

 

Watch the interview.

Related Stories

How Does Your Garden Grow?

As spring approaches, some people’s thoughts turn to gardening. Whether it’s a flower garden they desire or a vegetable garden want to have, they begin planning what they’ll plant and what they need to do to ensure a successful garden.

Adopt a Growth Mindset for a Better Life

A “growth mindset” accepts that our intelligence and talents can develop over time, and a person with that mindset understands that intelligence and talents can improve through effort and learning.

Drug Use, Family History Can Lead to Heart Disease in Younger Adults

Abstaining from drug abuse and an early diagnosis of familial hypercholesterolemia (high cholesterol) can help prevent heart disease.

Recent Stories

Education

TTUHSC Faculty Receive Chancellor’s Council Distinguished Teaching and Research Awards

Recognizing academic excellence, the honors are the most prestigious awards granted to faculty throughout the TTU System. The awards are funded by gifts to the Chancellor’s Council, a giving society that supports the chancellor’s priorities across the TTU System.

Campus Life

Free Clinic Offered for Women’s Health Day

TTUHSC School of Medicine students will host a Women’s Health Day free clinic from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 15 at The Free Clinic

Research

Researchers Study the Impact of Cancer on Hispanic Patients and Their Caregivers

TTUHSC Cytogenetic Technologist Jasbir Bisht and a team from P. Hemachandra Reddy’s internal medicine laboratory analyzed the impact of cancer in Hispanics in comparison to other ethnic groups.