Instructor Phillip Dennis
English 111 Section 0017
15 September 2017
Definition Essay: Abuse “Your spouse or partner hits you on the arm or leg – not enough to leave a mark. This has never happened before. Your partner seems truly horrified at his actions and apologizes profusely, begging forgiveness, even weeping at your feet. Seeing your strong partner -- who's usually stoic when faced with other agonies of life -- crying and ridden with shame and guilt triggers a flood of love and mercy in you. You forgive him; certain he'll never do it again. Anyone can make a mistake and it didn't even leave a bruise. Right?” (Gluck). Abuse can happen to anyone regardless of age, race, gender or social status. Abuse is when an individual …show more content…
Emotional abuse can have the same long-lasting effects on a person like physical abuse. It can affect your inner thoughts and feelings and make you lose control over your life. It can destroy relationships with your friends and family. People tend to overlook emotional abuse because they desperately want to believe that their abuser truly loves them. Signs of emotional abuse include “yelling or swearing, name calling or insults, mocking, threats of intimidation, isolating, and denial of the abuser and blaming the victim” (Tracy). Emotional abuse can leave you feeling powerless and defeated. You can develop low self-esteem, depression and even start to contemplate suicide. Emotional abuse can also lead to substance abuse. Children also experience their own version of emotional abuse. Emotional Child abuse is “acting in such a manner as to cause harm to a child’s mental health and social development” (Dictionary). Emotional child abuse includes terror, shame and humiliation, rejection, isolation and corruption. Terror is when you threaten or actually abandon or isolate a child. Shame and humiliation is patronizing a child and action that would lower child’s …show more content…
Sexual abuse includes, but is certainly not limited to, marital rape, attacks on sexual parts of the body, forcing sex after physical violence has occurred, or treating one in a sexually demeaning manner” (The United States Department of Justice). Different type of sexual abuse is rape, child molestation, incest, sexual assault and many others. Rape “is forced sexual contact with someone who does not or cannot consent” (GoodTherapy, Sexual Assault / Abuse). Child molestation is when an adult or teenager uses a child for sexual stimulation. Incest is sexual contact with family members. Sexual assault is any unwanted sexual contact or advances. Child sexual abuse is the use of a child for sexual purposes. This includes child pornography and child prostitution. “Sexual abuse is often coupled with physical abuse (or threat of physical abuse) and emotional abuse” (Kathryn Pateicelli). Abuse is a form of mistreatment by an individual that causes harm to another. Although there are many different forms of abuse, they all fall under one of three categories: physical, emotional and sexual. Physical abuse is any physical force that results in an injury. Emotional abuse is anything that cause an individual psychological trauma. Sexual abuse is any for of non-consensual physical contact. Abuse can happen to anyone, anywhere in the world and if you are experiencing abuse seek help