Student Example: Child is verbally abused at home, and is later diagnosed with a serious medical condition (which doesn’t end the verbal abuse and may have escalated it.) This student is completely disengaged and has virtually no social skills. He sleeps continuously through most classes (as a defense mechanism?), and is very easily triggered. He alternates between saying nothing, speaking out in anger, and being clingy and overly sweet--and occasionally having meltdowns crying on the floor and saying, “I can’t do it!” (He is 19 or 20, and reasonably intelligent.) And he is only responsive to instruction under threat of losing privileges. TBH, we haven’t found much that is effective with him , though he can occasionally be engaged in conversation about the fish, insects, and snakes he cares for.
https://youtu.be/SWqi9whHeKM Unfortunately, many children may experience emotional abuse along with physical abuse, domestic violence, or sexual abuse. This only increases the negative effects on a child. Families who are experiencing financial problems, mental health issues, substance abuse addiction, and domestic abuse are more likely to have a child who experienced emotional abuse.
