Some adults have not outgrown temper tantrums. According to the organization Prevent Child Abuse America, parental anger bursts are emotionally abusive if behaviors include a pattern of put-downs, rejection, criticism, bullying or dominance. Even if things do not escalate to a physically abusive situation, parental anger bursts are detrimental to children.
Anxiety and Depression
Children who grow up in environments characterized by emotional abuse face are at risk of developing long-standing mental health problems. A 2003 study published in the journal "Child Abuse and Neglect," questioned 205 adult women presenting to their doctors for physical problems. The women in the group who reported being victims of childhood emotional abuse were more likely to suffer from anxiety and depression as adults than were women who did not have this childhood experience.
Acts as an Amplifier
In many homes in which emotional abuse is occurring, children are also subject to physical forms or violence, or witness to violence being perpetrated toward others. It's therefore difficult to separate the effects of abusive parental outbursts on children. A 2003 study published in the "American Journal of Psychiatry," questioned 8,667 adult patients seeking medical treatment about childhood occurrence of emotional and physical forms of abuse. In homes where physical forms of maltreatment were occurring, emotional abuse amplified the negative, long-term effects of abuse. Significantly more negative mental health symptoms were reported among patients experiencing emotional abuse in addition to physical abuse in their childhood homes, as opposed to physical abuse alone.
Increases Childhood Aggression
Children look to parents for cues on how to handle tough situations. When a parent responds to stress by exhibiting an anger burst, this behavior becomes acceptable to the child. According to the Lakeside Educational Network, children of angry parents are more likely to become aggressive themselves. A 2006 study published in the "American Psychiatry Journal," found that study participants who acknowledged having childhood histories of verbal abuse were more likely to have problems with anger and hostility as adults than were participants coming from homes in which either no abuse occurred or in homes where physical abuse alone occurred.
Higher Risk of Drug Use
Children who have been subject to parental anger bursts are prone to developing drug abuse problems in later life. A 2003 study in the journal "Pediatrics" examined the relationship between parental anger bursts and adult drug abuse. 8,613 adults were asked two questions measuring their exposure to adult anger as children. These questions included, "How often did a parent, stepparent, or adult living in your home swear at you, insult you, or put you down?" and "How often did a parent, stepparent, or adult living in your home act in a way that made you afraid that you might be physically hurt?" The researchers found a strong, positive correlation between exposure to parental anger bursts as children and adult drug abuse.
References
- Prevent Child Abuse America: Fact Sheet: Emotional Child Abuse
- "Child Abuse and Neglect"; Childhood Emotional Abuse and Neglect as Predictors of Psychological and Physical Symptoms in Women presenting to a Primary Care Practice; Ilyse L. Spertus, et al.; 2003
- "American Journal of Psychiatry"; Relationship Between Multiple Forms of Childhood Maltreatment and Adult Mental Health in Community Respondents: Results From the Adverse Childhood Experiences Study; Valerie J. Edwards, Ph.D, et al.; August 2003
- Lakeside Connect; How Does A Parent's Anger Impact His or Her Child?; Gerry Vassar; March 2011
- "American Journal of Psychiatry"; Sticks, Stones, and Hurtful Words: Relative Effects of Various Forms of Childhood Maltreatment; Martin H. Teicher, M.D., Ph.D., et al.; 2006
- "Pediatrics"; Childhood Abuse, Neglect, and Household Dysfunction and the Risk of Illicit Drug Use: The Adverse Childhood Experiences Study; Shanta R. Dube, MPH, et al.; March 2003
