Study: Verbal abuse has lasting consequences similar to physical abuse

GREEN BAY, Wis. (WBAY) - Cruel words can leave a mark on a child and may have as much impact when they’re older as physical abuse.

A study published in the medical journal BMJ Open found adults who experienced physical abuse as a child had a 50% increased risk of reporting low mental well-being compared to adults with no history of abuse.

Those who experienced verbal abuse had a 60% increase in the likelihood of low mental well-being.

Researchers looked at data for more than 20,000 adults across seven separate studies in England and Wales.

Here in the U.S., more than 60% of students who participated in the Youth Risk Behavior Survey reported experiencing mental abuse. Almost 32% reported physical abuse.

Experts say there’s been a rise in verbal abuse across the world but a decline in