A few years ago, a teacher friend told me of his horror on hearing a primary head teacher shouting so loudly at a child that it resounded throughout the school. It was even more chilling for him to realise that the child was in Reception.
Not so long ago, this sort of thing would have been the norm in many early years settings, schools and family homes. These days, however, we tend to feel shocked and disturbed when we hear young children being yelled at or verbally intimidated.
That is not to say, though, that it is less common.
A recent study, ‘Childhood verbal abuse as a child maltreatment subtype’ (see Further reading) reports that emotional abuse has surpassed other forms of childhood maltreatment. Childhood verbal abuse (CVA) is a key component of emotional abuse: it is of growing concern. In the early years we are highly aware of the power of words and language, for better or worse. This review is significant to our work. We need to act on its findings with urgency.
WHAT CONSTITUTES CVA?
Childhood verbal abuse is when adults use language and other forms of verbal communication to inflict mental stress on the child.
This includes:
- Shouting and screaming
- Belittling and denigrating
- Verbal threats
- Name-calling
- Constantly criticising
- Blaming and scapegoating
- Using hurtful sarcasm
- Not expressing kindness or positive feelings.
The NSPCC highlights that over time, emotional abuse can have serious effects on a child’s social, emotional and physical and mental health development. CVA provokes states of feeling unloved, humiliated, fearful, weak and powerless. This can lead to long-term psychological problems such as depression, anxiety, anger issues, substance abuse, self-harm and eating disorders.
The impacts of CVA can have lasting effects throughout the child’s life, with outcomes as severe as those resulting from physical or sexual abuse.
For example, lead author of the study, Professor Shanta Dube at Wingate University, North Carolina in the USA, has done recent work with substance use recovery centres in which she hears from counsellors about how childhood verbal abuse is a prevalent issue among recovering individuals.
Hilit Kletter, associate professor at Stanford University, says, ‘It’s not really recognised to be as serious as some other forms of maltreatment – these findings add strong support to why that needs to change.’
WHAT WE NEED TO KNOW: A SUMMARY OF THE KEY POINTS OF THE REVIEW
The study, commissioned by the charity Words Matter, draws on the findings of 166 robust research studies over several decades.
- There are currently four subtypes of child maltreatment: physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, and neglect. ‘While there are observed declines in the prevalence for both physical and sexual abuse, the prevalence of childhood emotional abuse has increased,’ the report says. The most recent study found that the prevalence of childhood verbal abuse was 21 per cent, compared with 15.9 per cent for childhood physical abuse and 7.4 per cent for childhood sexual abuse, as reported by UK adults (Bellis et al., 2023).
- Parents are the most common perpetrators of CVA by adults (76.5 per cent), along with teachers (12.7 per cent) and other caregivers in the home (2.4 per cent). Other authority figures – coaches and police – were also featured (both 0.6 per cent).
- Shouting and screaming were the most documented characteristics of verbal abuse. However, the research emphasises that definitions of CVA should not only consider the words used but also the intent, delivery and the immediate impact on children.
- Even though CVA is as damaging to a child as physical or sexual abuse, less attention is given to it.
- CVA is a largely hidden problem because it is incorporated into terms like ‘childhood emotional abuse/maltreatment’, and ‘childhood psychological abuse/ maltreatment’.
- Due to its severe impacts, CVA needs to be viewed and studied as a standalone form of childhood maltreatment.
IMPLICATIONS OF THE REVIEW
The report concludes that further research is required that will enable childhood verbal abuse to be recognised as form of abuse in itself (rather than being under the umbrella of emotional abuse). The researchers consider this to be the starting point for its identification and prevention.
Professor Dube says, ‘Childhood verbal abuse desperately needs to be acknowledged as an abuse subtype, because of the lifelong negative consequences.
‘Tremendous strides have been made in increased awareness and interventions targeting physical and sexual abuse perpetrators, leading to the reduction in these forms of maltreatment. If we focus on “verbal abuse” by perpetrators rather than just “emotional abuse” among victims, we may develop similar actions to prevent childhood verbal abuse and its consequences. Breaking the intergenerational cycles starts with the adults.’
It is of considerable importance, then, to use the term ‘childhood verbal abuse’: this highlights the adult’s actions. Putting the onus onto the adult could be a starting point for prevention if childhood verbal abuse were to be made a subtype.
WHAT WE CAN TAKE FROM THIS REVIEW
Though childhood verbal abuse is a largely hidden problem, it is preventable. This review is progressive in that it brings the issue to our attention and calls for further research.
As well as this, it hints at the implications for our work in the early years. Just as children require a nurturing, safe and supportive physical environment from adult caregivers, they also require a healthy verbal environment. This involves adults communicating in a way that enables children to feel valued and able to develop positive beliefs about themselves and others.
Jessica Bondy, founder of Words Matter, says, ‘It’s paramount to grasp the true scale and impact of childhood verbal abuse. All adults get overloaded sometimes and say things unintentionally. We have to work collectively to devise ways to recognise these actions and end childhood verbal abuse by adults so children can flourish.’
She adds, ‘Words have weight, they can uplift or destroy. Let’s build children up, not knock them down.’
The report recommends that primary prevention of childhood verbal abuse must include adult training on the importance of safety, support and nurturance during verbal communication with children.
In practice, initial training on nurturing children through positive verbal communication might need ongoing support. Room leaders and managers will need both to model positive practice and provide guidance and direction to staff where needed. Supervision or work discussion can provide a space for staff to explore their emotions about working with children. Sometimes, children can be challenging, and a staff member might feel strong emotions rising in response to this. In becoming more aware of such dynamics, staff can manage their feelings and ensure that their responses don’t become harsh or uncaring.
SAFEGUARDING AND WORKING WITH PARENTS
The recent changes to safeguarding guidance that require staff to report ‘low level concerns’ about colleagues are also relevant here. If a member of staff is concerned that a colleague’s interactions are having a negative impact, they should report their worries even if they fall short of a straightforward safeguarding concern. Managers should act on these concerns, rather than running the risk of harsh interactions escalating into damaging childhood verbal abuse.
One of the authors of the study, Professor Peter Fonagy of University College London, points out the critical role of positive parenting. He says, ‘Supporting parents to deliver positive, consistent, rule-based parenting, even with wayward children, works to prevent antisocial behaviour. In ordinary parenting, it is finding ways to praise our children when they do something we like, rather than holding them to account for what they do wrong, that helps shape their behaviour and personality.’ He continues, ‘Attention, warmth and kindness pay dividends. Excessively harsh words undermine attachment and trust, devaluing subsequent efforts at correction.’
This is something that educators, parents and all those involved with children will need to intentionally work on. As Professor Fonagy states, ‘The minds of children need to be built, not repaired.’
These words must be held in mind and at the heart of all our communication with children.
After all, as Professor Fonagy says, ‘Preventing the maltreatment of children is the most effective way we can reduce the prevalence of child mental health problems.’
Further reading
- ‘Childhood verbal abuse as a child maltreatment subtype: A systematic review of the current evidence’, Child Abuse & Neglect, Vol. 144, October 2023