More than Half of Teens Experienced Emotional Abuse Since Pandemic, CDC Says

New data from The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has revealed that more than half of high school students in the U.S. have experienced emotional abuse either from a parent or another family member ever since the beginning of the pandemic.

The alarming statistics show that many of them report emotional abuse at home in terms of U.S. high school students' mental health.

Emotional Abuse

The research involved more than 7,700 high school students, and emotional abuse was defined in the survey as one or more of the following: being insulted, put down, or sworn at by a parent or another adult in their home. It may also include manipulating, constant criticism, or even isolating and gaslighting them. Researchers collected the responses from high school students during the first half of 2021. They also collected information about the experiences of these youngsters in 2020. These periods covered the months when the government imposed lockdowns due to COVID-19.

The statistics gathered are a stark change compared to other statistics that gather representative samples of emotional abuse. Other surveys taken before the pandemic are common. However, the recent data show a sharp increase.

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Stark Increase

In another study from the National Survey of Children's Exposure to Violence released in 2014, the data showed that minors aged 14 to 17 who have had some emotional abuse from the prior year were just 15.7 percent.

The recent findings from the CDC are an appraisal of how these high school students fared during the pandemic. In addition, the CDC's acting principal deputy director, Dr. Debra Houry, said that this data is a cry for help. According to Dr. Houry, the COVID-19 pandemic has created traumatic stressors that may further affect these students' mental and emotional health.

"Abnormal"

Some students or youngsters who are abused may not even realize that they are being abused. According to Stanford Children's Heath child psychologist Hilit Kletter, these children may think that these types of treatment and behavior are just normal within families. Being a recipient of such treatment daily will make them feel ashamed and worthless.

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to many stressors and uncertainty that may have increased the stress and fatigue of parents. However, if an adult's ability to parent their child is impaired, Kletter recommends that parents seek professional help. She also advised that teenagers should seek assistance from a trusted adult such as a teacher or counselor if they fear being emotionally abused in their homes.

Brian Martin, the Childhood Domestic Violence Association founder, said that it would not make a parent weak to have an open dialogue and apologize to their children. Kletter also emphasized that one of the most important ways to address any abuse is finding support to hurdle the factor of being isolated or alone.

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