Sticks and Stones May Break My Bones: The Effects of Emotional Abuse

Abstract

The relationship between psychological maltreatment in childhood and adult well-being has previously been established via the statistical modeling of psychometric data. This study examines a set of statistical data regarding abuse alongside personal accounts. A group of 165 participants completed several psychometric scales, including a measure of childhood emotional abuse. Several participants were then invited to participate in interviews exploring issues in more depth. Statistical analysis supported previous findings, but the interviews exposed themes pertinent to the examination of long-term effects of emotional abuse, such as acknowledgment of abuse. The findings support the use of a mixed methodology, as statistical measurements alone did not reveal some detail. The implications of this finding for psychological research and practice are discussed.

Keywords:

• cumulative disadvantage
• emotional abuse
• mixed methodology