Name Calling

• "Brat"
• "Baby"
• "Sissy"
• "Wetty pants"
• "Shorty"
• "Bean pole"
• "Stretch"

Unflattering Nicknames

• Midget
• Four-eyed freak
• Big-boned Bertha
• Gordo
• Blimp
• Fatso
• Miss Piggy
• Porky
• Pimple face
• Not words of endearment but hurtful words

Make fun of Physical Imperfections (things you can't change)

• Body size or shape
• Eye color, hair color or texture
• The way you look
• Stuttering or lisp
• Too thin or too large
• Lazy eye

Purposeful Embarrassment

• Repeated stories of child's embarrassing moment
• Shamed in public
• Intentional embarrassment of something the child wants to keep private

• Put down when wanting to learn new things
• Ridicule free expression of child's delight
• Told not to try things new
• Negative comments on slow progress learning abstract ideas

• Comparing child negatively to other children
• Make fun of child asking questions
• Make fun of trying to learn to skip, ride a bike or use imagination
• Labeling stages of development as a permanent flaw
• Uses child's natural curiosity to do them harm
• Make fun of reading out loud, singing
• Make fun of child doing well in school
• Demean child's accomplishments at school

Witness Emotional Abuse of Family Members

• Parents call each other hurtful names
• Mother called bad names
• Family members yell vulgar words to each other
• Loved ones hurt each others feelings
• Siblings call parents bad names
• Parents talk back or rude to grandparent

Labeling

• Wimp
• Weirdo
• Spoiled
• Cry Baby

Intelligence

• Dumb
• Stupid
• Retarded
• Ignorant
• Won't ever amount to anything

Self-Esteem

• "Worthless"
• "No good"
• "You can't do anything right"
• "You will never amount to anything"
• ""Your step siblings are worth more than you."
   

• Told, "Don't touch me" when injured and looking for comfort.
• "Stay away from me."
• "You aren't my kid, get away."
• Pushed away when seeking comfort
• Parent or guardian unresponsive to child's distress
• Ignored, rejected or shoved aside to make room for the favored one

Poke (Hurtful) Fun

• Dumb blonde jokes
• Ethnic jokes
• Gender jokes
• Sexist jokes
• Religious jokes
• Words that hurt feeling or make the child uncomfortable

• for displaying kindness or sympathy
• for expressing sorrow at death of pet of family member
• when injured
• for crying
• when hurt
• for trying something new and being clumsy

Verbal Emotional Abuse

• "I wish you had died and your sibling had lived."
• Parent use hurtful words
• Siblings use hurtful words
• Extended family members use hurtful words
• Neighbors and peer, teacher and clergy use hurtful words
• Stranger uses hurtful words
• What person's actions will hurt the most?

Withhold Emotional Support

• Purposely withholds affection, interaction, play
• Withholds any sign of love or compassion
• Never sticks up for child when being verbally abused
• Parent or guardian indifferent, aloof, detached or cold
• Parent physically home but does not interact with child
• Parent doesn't speak to child
• Child never receives hugs or kisses
• Child never touched, hand held
• Child never hears applause or encouraging words
• Child never held on lap and read a book
• Lack of nurturing environment

Emotional Void

• Forbid expression of any human emotions
• Laughter must be muffled or not displayed at all
• Never allowed to cry or have tears
• Forbidden to get angry or show anger
• Crying is forbidden and severely punished
• Told to "Shut up" frequently
• "Give you something to cry about."

Family Emotionally Abuses Child's Friends

• Makes fun of child's playmates
• Makes fun of the same things they say to their child
• Ridicule their best friends parents
• Calls them names
• Puts them down
• Makes comments to their face, and in front of the child
• Comments on their financial status

Outside Home: Neighbors and Peers Call Child Names

• Hear family members verbally abuse child so they join in
• "Your Dad is a druggie, can't hold a job."
• "Your Mom is a worthless bitch and so are you."
• "You all are just poor white (ethnic slur) trash."
• "Your sister is a tramp."
• "Your Mother is a hippo."
• "You are a no good foster care brat no one wants."