Yelling at children can be as damaging as physical or sexual abuse, study says

BOSTON - A new study finds that screaming at children can be as harmful as other forms of child abuse.

While there has been a decline in physical and sexual abuse of children, emotional abuse, including verbal assaults, is on the rise. But verbal abuse itself has not been recognized as its own form of child abuse and many say it should be.

In a new study, researchers in the U.S. and the U.K. reviewed 166 earlier studies and found that yelling at, denigrating, or verbally threatening children by parents, teachers, or coaches can be as damaging as physical or sexual abuse. It can lead to depression, anger, substance abuse, and physical problems such as obesity.

Researchers said recognizing verbal abuse as a form of maltreatment will lead to greater prevention efforts, such as teaching adults how important it is to be supportive and nurturing while speaking to a child.

In:
• Children
• Child Abuse

Mallika Marshall, MD

Mallika Marshall, MD is an Emmy-award-winning journalist and physician who has served as the HealthWatch Reporter for CBS Boston/WBZ-TV for over 20 years. A practicing physician Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Dr. Marshall serves on staff at Harvard Medical School and practices at Massachusetts General Hospital at the MGH Chelsea Urgent Care and the MGH Revere Health Center, where she is currently working on the frontlines caring for patients with COVID-19. She is also a host and contributing editor for Harvard Health Publications (HHP), the publishing division of Harvard Medical School.

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