Can the "way" a parent talks to their child be considered child abuse?

Question

For instance, if a parent told their child, "I wish I could smash your head against this wall and watch your blood run down." Or if this parent said, "Don't talk to me and leave me alone before I gas you like a...(ugh I hate saying this) Jew?"

But they have never actually put their hands on the child...to the best of one's knowledge??

Answer 1

Yes. It's called verbal abuse.

Answer 2

Of course that's abuse. Physical abuse isn't the only kind. There is also emotional/mental abuse and that is exactly what that is. Anyone talking to their kids like that should be reported.  

Answer 3

Its verbal, mental and emotional abuse and you should turn them in to child protective services.

That child is living a life of insecurity and fear that one day the people who should love him and should protect him will kill him, not to mention they certainly must hate him to even think of those things, let alone mention them.

I'm sick to my stomach just thinking about people doing that to a child.

Answer 4

it's called verbal abuse idiot!!!

Answer 5

Yea that is called verbal abuse and it can be more damaging than physical abuse sometimes

Answer 6

yes. that is called verbal abuse and it is child abuse.

Answer 7

Yes, it is definitely emotional and psychological abuse.

Answer 8

yes it is. Its called Verbal Abuse. My mother used to tell me all the time to kill myself and stuff like that. And she got in trouble for verbal abuse. Its very bad for a child!

Answer 9

yes it is verbal abuse I'm 10 and i do not know much about law but i know that is abuse

Answer 10

Yes.  Emotional abuse is difficult to prove, unless you have several people who have heard similar conversations over time, or have it recorded.  However, emotional abuse is a category of child abuse, and is criminally evaluated by Child Protective Services.  Personally, I see little difference between saying this, and actually doing any of these horrid things to a child.  I think about it like this... If I would call the police if someone was saying these things to me in a threatening way- I'd call CPS for a child who was hearing these things.  A parent is supposed to be a child's safe harbour... someone they can come to for safety.  If this is how the parent is talking to the child, how can the child possibly feel safe in their care?

It has been proven that emotional "scars" carry far more weight to a child than physical ones, and these things root deeply in a child's mind- affecting their future relationships, their self-esteem and their psychological development.  Children who are emotionally abused are often underachievers who look to negative influencing groups (gangs) to gain approval.  Children who are emotionally disturbed can have patterns of violence and 80% of them end up in the juvenile court system, and eventually prison.  I work with children who have been emotionally abused (as well as physical and neglected), and it can take years to build them back up again- even those as young as three years old.  

If you are hearing someone talk like this to a child, it is emotional abuse- and you need to call CPS to protect this child and get the family some help.  Some parents really don't know any other methods of dealing with children, and need some parenting help.  Parenting can be extremely stressful, but children do not deserve to be talked to in this manner.

Answer 11

yep, that can be considered verbal and psychological abuse.

Which can be just as damaging as the physical kind

Answer 12

Wow, that's horrible. Yes, that's verbal abuse. What terrible things to say to a child!

Answer 13

Most people take it as a threat in the "adult world". When I was at my post pregnancy check for having my son. The doctor told me if I ever felt like "smashing my child into something", and so on. She said that is considered it a form of child abuse.

If I heard someone say that to their child I would worry for the kid.

I was at a store once when I did hear a lady tell her child who was reaching for a candy bar from the cart say, "I will slap the c**p out of you if you get one." The person in front of her worked for CPS, and told her. She said that it was wrong to say, and the lady said she was joking with her kid. The CPS worker said that there are other things to say than that.

Answer 14

Should you even be needing to ask this question?  My husband was verbally abused when he was growing up, and that can be even harder then physical abuse, because someone can see the abuse when it is physical.  No one believed that "his wonderful mom" would verbally abuse him, even though when we met, she still did. I BELIEVED HIM.

Answer 15

Absolutely.

Any comment which makes a child feel unloved or unworthy of being loved is emotional abuse.  

They examples you provide are considered assault and could get someone arrested if they were said to an adult.  It does not make it better when said to your own child.

Answer 16

that IS abuse...in fact in alot of cases verbal abuse is sometimes WORSE than physical abuse...no one should talk to their child in that matter and if they do they shouldnt of had kids and SHOULD have them taken away from them.

Answer 17

yeah verbal abuse is a form of abuse.  

Answer 18

Thats verbal and emotional abuse, but it is hard to prove.

Answer 19

all that just ain't worth it get a flip flop a switch a belt a broom a paddle and whoop your kid if they bad it's in the bible I'm only sixteen and my mom whooped me and I thank her for it. do what you got to do make sure they know why they gettin the beat down