One spouse’s emotional abuse could inflict severe harm on a partner, leading to divorce. A partner’s verbal tirades and painful comments may reach the point where a spouse feels concerned for their safety, resulting in requests for protective orders in a California court. Those who fail to see the seriousness of emotional abuse allegations might not realize how devastating such behavior is.
Emotional abuse in a marriage
Belittling and insulting a spouse is a common example of emotional abuse. Numerous underlying reasons may cause someone to be a verbal abuser, and the impact on the victim could be tremendous. Insults combined with threats of violence might leave the recipient of the comments badly shaken and frightened.
Emotional abuse can take other forms, including one spouse’s desire to control another. The abusing spouse may attempt to isolate their partner from friends and family or prevent them from working. Hovering over a spouse and controlling their relations may lead to suffocating conditions that have troubling mental health effects.
The marriage worsens
An emotional abuser may not stop their behavior despite the apparent harm inflicted on a spouse. An emotionally abusive household could have a negative effect on children in the home, as would likely be the case in other domestic violence situations. Such issues could be brought up during child custody hearings.
However, not all claims of domestic violence and emotional abuse are legitimate. One spouse might make false claims against the other for various reasons. Those accused of domestic violence may refute the charges in court to counter petitions for restraining orders.