Which of the following is an example of emotional abuse?

• A. Name calling
• B. Hitting
• C. Withholding food
• D. Forcing sexual conduct

Answer: (A)

Emotional abuse involves actions or words that harm a person’s emotional well-being, self-worth, or sense of safety. Name calling fits this pattern because it uses insults, belittling, and ridicule to undermine the person’s dignity and confidence. Over time, this kind of verbal mistreatment can erode trust, create fear, and leave lasting emotional scars.

The other options represent different forms of harm: hitting is physical abuse, withholding food is a form of neglect or physical deprivation, and forcing sexual conduct is sexual abuse. While these are serious abuses, they do not primarily target emotional well-being through verbal degradation in the way name calling does.