Very little is said about psychological abuse because it leaves no visible scars. But the mental and emotional scars can often be worse than those left by physical abuse. Find out more here....

1. What is Psychological Abuse?1
We tend to think about abuse along a continuum with the effects of physical abuse being considered
“more harmful” than psychological abuse. This is because psychological abuse, unlike physical abuse,
leaves no visible scars or bruises, making it harder to detect. Doctors, counsellors, therapists and
social workers may not link a person’s presenting concerns to current or past psychological abuse,
particularly when a victim has doubts about his/her own perceptions, or fails to link their problems to
a psychological trauma.
Neglectful Tactics Deliberate Tactics
Denying Emotional Responsiveness Accusing, blaming and jealous control
- failing to provide care in a sensitive and - telling a person repeatedly that he/she has
responsive manner; caused the abuse;
- interacting in a detached and uninvolved - blaming the person unfairly for everything
manner; that goes wrong;
- interacting only when necessary; - accusing the person of having affairs or flirting
- ignoring the other person’s attempts to with others;
interact (for example, treating an older adult - making the person feel they cannot be trusted;
who lives in a residence or institution as - checking up on their activities;
though she/he is “a job to be done”) - demanding the person account for every
moment of the day;
- using anger to control the other person.
Discounting Criticizing behaviour and ridiculing traits
– not giving any credence to the person’s point - continuously finding fault with the other
of view; person or making the person feel nothing
– not validating the person’s feelings; he/she does is ever right;
– claiming the behaviour was meant as a joke. - setting unrealistic standards;
- belittling the person’s thoughts, ideas and
achievements;
- diminishing the identity, dignity and self‐
worth of the person;
- mimicking her/him.
Ignoring Degrading
- purposefully not acknowledging the - insulting, ridiculing, name calling, imitating, or
presence, value or contribution of the other; infantilizing;
- acting as though the other person were not - yelling, swearing, publicly humiliating or
there. labelling the other person as stupid.
Denying or forgetting Harassing
- denying that any abuse has ever taken place; - repeatedly contacting, following or watching
- telling the person no one would believe the the other person;
accusations because it is all in his/her head; - ‘keeping tabs’ on him/her through others; –
- forgetting promises or agreements. sending unwanted gifts.
1
Canada. National Clearinghouse on Family Violence. Psychological Abuse: A Discussion Paper. Prepared by Deborah
Doherty and Dorothy Berglund. Ottawa: Public Health Agency of Canada, 2008.
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2. Countering Corrupting/Exploiting
- implying something is wrong with the - socializing a person to accept ideas or
person who has hurt feelings or complains behaviours that are illegal;
about not liking his/her treatment as a - using a person for advantage or profit; –
result of the abuse; training him/her to serve the abuser’s
- contradicting what the other person says. interests;
- enticing him/her into the sex trade;
- permitting a child to use alcohol or drugs
Minimizing / trivializing Terrorizing
- refusing to validate the other person’s – inducing terror or extreme fear in a person
feelings of hurt; through coercion or intimidation;
- suggesting that nobody else would be upset – placing or threatening to place a person in an
by the same treatment. unfit or dangerous environment;
– threatening to hurt or kill a pet or loved ones;
– threatening to destroy possessions;
– threatening to have the person deported or
placed in an institution.
Rejecting Isolating
- refusing to acknowledge a person’s – physically confining the person;
presence, value or worth; – restricting normal contact with others;
- communicating to a person that he/she is – limiting freedom and excluding an older adult
useless or inferior; from personal decisions;
- devaluing his/her thoughts and feelings; – locking a person in a closet or room;
- repeatedly treating a child differently from – refusing a person access to his/her own or
other siblings in a way that suggests jointly owned money;
resentment, rejection or dislike for the child. – depriving a person of mobility aids or
transportation;
– using others as pawns in relationships.
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