Which abuse is the most common

Harassment, physical and sexual abuse, and witnessing abuse of others are also forms of emotional abuse. Emotional abuse can take place anywhere: at home, at school, in relationships, and in the workplace.

Contrary to popular beliefs that bullies are only found in the school yard, many bullies also exist in the workplace. In fact, many physical and sexual abuse survivors have said that the emotional abuse was often more devastating and had longer-term effects.

Emotional abuse cuts to the core of a person, attacking their very being. Emotional abuse, if frequent enough, is usually internalized by the victim, and leaves them feeling fearful, insignificant, unworthy, untrusting, emotionally needy, undeserving and unlovable, and as if they were bad, deserving of punishment, and to blame.

Survivors of emotional abuse often have a hard time understanding why they feel so bad. One thing that can help is to step back from your situation and examine the overall climate in your home or your workplace. Trust your instincts and feelings about people. Sometimes, a person can just look at you and you know that they are looking down at you. Other times, their words are okay but their tone is mean. The first step is to name your experience as abuse.

Trust how you feel. In general, however, neglect takes these forms: physical neglect, emotional neglect, medical neglect, supervisory neglect, and educational neglect. Some states also consider it neglect when a baby is born showing signs of drug addiction or drug exposure.

While some kinds of neglect may be relatively easy for teachers, relatives, and other concerned people to spot, at other times, neglect will be less obvious. Concerns to watch for include:. Sometimes the parent behaves oddly in a way that others notice, showing little concern for the child or seeming angry or apathetic. What should you do if you think a child you know is being abused or neglected? Trained counselors can speak with you about identifying abuse, reporting abuse, and what happens after a report is made.

Information for reporting in other states is available from the Child Welfare Information Gateway. If you feel a child is in immediate danger, call This is a free helpline operated by Parents Anonymous.

Parents Anonymous also operates free parenting support groups. You can find info on groups in your area here. Physical abuse is intentional bodily injury. Some examples include slapping, pinching, choking, kicking, shoving, or inappropriately using drugs or physical restraints.

Signs of physical abuse. Sexual abuse is nonconsensual sexual contact any unwanted sexual contact. Examples include unwanted touching, rape, sodomy, coerced nudity, sexual explicit photographing. Signs of sexual abuse.