The consideration of verbal abuse is important for two reasons:
First, there seems to be a correlation between verbal abuse and sexual experiences. Therefore, if such verbal abuse causes some harm, this leads to a correlation between sexual experiences and this harm.
Second, the comparison with other types of abuse gives a layman a simple possibility to understand how serious the harm really is. If the other types of abuse are even more serious than sexual abuse, current reaction of society seems very inadequate.
Unfortunately, there is (compared with sexual abuse) much less research about verbal abuse. But the existing research already shows that current ignorance of verbal abuse is a serious methodological flaw of most sexual abuse research.
For example, Ussher & Dewberry 1995, examining "775 women survivors", have found that "the most important predictor variables" of long-term psychological effects "were presence of threats or violence, and verbal coercion, followed by abuse being repeated or prolonged". Ney 1987 "tends to support the clinical impression that verbal abuse may have a greater impact for a longer period of time."
Similar remarks can be made about emotional abuse.
Moeller et al. 1993 have considered emotional, physical and sexual abuse. They have found that more types of abuse are associates with more impact.
O'Hagan 1995 considers the definition of emotional and psychological abuse.
Burnett 1993 aimed at identifying potential definitions of psychological abuse, by submitting vignettes with adult behaviors to be rated as abuse or not by a group of citizens and also comparing these results with a professional social work cohort.
The approach of Pitzner & Drummond 1997 seems much more promising. They developed their abuse scales based on empirical data and used statistical methods to control the reliability of their scales. These scales are: Psychological/Verbal; Control; and Physical/Sexual. "Results showed that, independent of negative life events and respondent demographics, the Psychological/Verbal and Control Abuse Scales predicted current negative mood and psychosomatic complaints, and the association between current symptomatology and the Physical/Sexual Abuse Scale approached, but did not achieve, statistical significance (t = 1.99, df = 71, p < .0501)."
Psychological abuse is highly correlated with anxiety, depression, and dissociation (Ferguson & Dacey 1997) Rosen & Martin 1996 (study of 1,072 male and 305 female soldiers): "Physical-emotional abuse contributed to most of the effects. However, sexual abuse contributed additional significant effects to all of the subscales."
Sappington et al. 1997 found that "verbal, physical, and sexual child abuse were all associated with an increased risk of later date abuse or psychological problems."
Savin-Williams 1994 reviews the verbal and psychological abuse of lesbian, gay male, and bisexual youths from peers and adults. They found it "associated with several problematic outcomes, including school-related problems, running away from home, conflict with the law, substance abuse, prostitution, and suicide."
Ito et al. 1993 have found electrophysiological abnormalities in children with psychological, physical, and sexual abuse