According to Dr Harriet MacMillan, one of three authors of the position statement, psychological abuse includes acts such as belittling, denigrating, terrorising, exploiting, being emotionally unresponsive, or corrupting a child to the point his/her well-being is at risk. "We are talking about extremes and the likelihood of harm, or risk of harm, resulting from the kinds of behaviour that make a child feel worthless, unloved or unwanted," MacMillan said.
A parent raising their voice to a strident pitch after asking a child for the eighth time to put on their running shoes is not psychological abuse, MacMillan said. "But, yelling at a child every day and giving the message that the child is a terrible person, and that the parent regrets bringing the child into this world, is an example of a potentially very harmful form of interaction," Health24 reports.
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