Emotional Child Abuse: Challenging the Limited Definition

by Cindy
(Edinboro, Pennsylvania, USA)

Concerning Alienated Children: 
"Emotional child abuse is defined as the constant attack of a child or youth by an adult that negatively affects the child or youth's self-worth. It is important to note here the word 'constant'. With emotional abuse, the child/youth receives only negative messages, nothing positive."

I cut the above from your post. I want to inform people that when a parent denigrates the other, especially when motivated by child support, revenge, spite...it is emotional child abuse. One parent does not stop until the child severs ties from the other parent and their family. It is painful to see how a child can be ruined by the behavior of a parent that is supposed to love them. I have seen the horrible affects for 17 years but can do little about it. I can only monitor my response, which has not been easy and without repercussion. A target parent cannot defend themselves against lies. The child is, in a sense, brainwashed. The best way to understand this type of abuse is to read about it.

Please pray for all children abused in this way.

Note from Darlene: The volume of contributor submissions has now made it impossible for me to comment personally (especially in great detail) on each and every contribution. If I haven't left you a comment or one that is in-depth, please do not take my lack of a personal response as a slight, or as a statement that your story is somehow unworthy of my time. Nothing, and I do mean nothing, could be further from the truth. If there was a way for me to respond to all of you at length, I would.

Email addresses, phone numbers, home addresses AND website/blog URLs in visitor comments are STRICTLY prohibited, and could result in being banned from making further comments on this site.