When a person says the word “abuse” most people think of physical pain and they tend to look beyond or forget about verbal abuse. The phrase “Sticks and stones will break my bones but words will never hurt me” has created a social stigma that has made people look weak if they were bothered by what was being said to them. However, emotional pain is still classified as a form of pain and it is often times brought on by strident words and phrases. Verbal abuse can harm people, specifically children, just as much as physical abuse At first glance, the viewer’s eyes are drawn to the child’s facial expression, specifically his sorrowful tear-filled eyes. After that people’s eyes tend to settle on the “hand” wrapped around the child’s fragile neck.
