What is your definition of abuse?

Question

Inluding childhood abuse both physical and emotional and adult abuse, Ive had many debates with others regarding parental control and punishment verses abuse. What are your thoughts?

Answer 1

Abuse: An act of unjustified violence against another. Weather it be physical, mental or sexual.

As a victim of molestation,physical and mental abuses from an early age in my life I can honestly say unjustified!

As a young teen and into adulthood I thought that was the way that I was suppose to be treated.

I learned from my second husband, and God  the difference between abuse and love.

Parents who love their children punish them when they do wrong, that does not mean the child is beaten into submission, but is guided in the right direction through proper correction. Depending on the age and level of understanding. It maybe a swat on the baby's hand and a firm no, or reasoning with an older child with time out or swats on the back side if the crime is sever enough to warrent such punishment. It really depends on the child and the personallity of the child. Some children require more discipline than others.

No person no matter the age deserves Abuse of any kind.

So BEWARE of the SPOKEN WORD!

It often does more damage than the Hand does.

Answer 2

Abuse has many facets. I grew up abused, in every single form of the word. I was physically, sexually, emotionally abused.

My thoughts on what constitues abuse is this.... obviously, any inappropriate touching, etc.. is obvious abuse.

Obviously, hitting with the intention of inflicting pain or damage, is abuse... but here are my other thoughts on abuse:

abuse is when a person belittles you, makes you feel small, controls you. Abuse also is when a person uses manipulation tactics to get his/her own way- or to get away with something.

Abuse is being belittled not just by cursing at you, but by name calling, etc...

All the same coin, but many facets of that coin.  Abuse takes many forms.... but irregardless of the form, the damage stays the same.. it hurts, and many times that hurt lasts forever.

Answer 3

Abuse, whether physical, emotional or any other type can all be defined in two words. Causing pain. Physical pain, emotional pain. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to know when you're hurting someone if your eyes and ears are open. I personally believe it is possible (and much more rewarding) to effectively discipline children without angry touching or angry words.

Answer 4

Physical abuse-Hitting someone or being hit by someone in a very violent way.

Verbal abuse-Calling others or being called harmful names and it's not supposed to be perceived as a joke or anything.

Sexual abuse-Being sexually taken advantage of and being hit and called names during s*x without consent.I don't mean BDSM.I mean like rape to either child or adult.It is terrible either way.

Child abuse-Physical,Verbal,and Sexual abuse to a child.

Adult abuse-Sexual,Physical,and Verbal abuse to an adult.

Answer 5

physical abuse is when the parent [or anyone else for that matter] loses control and starts hitting the child very aggresivly. a spank on the hand or butt is not abuse unless you start to hit harder and harder and find yourself unable to stop or unwilling to stop.

mental and emotional abuse is when you say things that you KNOW are hurting someone. its a complicated thing to explain because some people dont actually KNOW that they are upsetting someone and its not on purpose but its still abuse and some people do know.

Answer 6

Abuse imo is hitting for no reason.

Answer 7

For child abuse....

physical abuse - purposely inflicting pain for whatever reason

emotional abuse - name calling, cursing, purposely causing emotional distress

physical and emotional abuse often go together. you can have emotional abuse without physical abuse, but rarely the other way around. this is especially true for kids because they depend on and trust their parents for everything. once that trust is betrayed it is hard to get it back.