Physical abuse is simple and easy to define. If I see some one hit or kick there kid I know how to define that. I know what that is. Sexual abuse is also easy to define and nearly universally condemned, but mental abuse is very different.
Some would define yelling at your kids as emotional abuse, but if you are the type of person who rarely yells at their kids and you see them doing something really dangerous and you yell at them to get them to stop to prevent someone from getting hurt, does that make it mental abuse? I don't think so.
That actually brings us to a big difference from emotional or mental abuse and the other forms of abuse I mentioned. In emotional abuse it is rarely just a single instance that makes it abuse but rather a pattern. If you get upset and yell at your kid one time a year it's probably not abuse but if you do it all the time to control them then it is probably abuse. As apposed to a single punch or a single inappropriate touch which are obviously abusive by nature.
Instead of labeling things emotional abuse I think it is better to use more descriptive terms. For example saying that a a parent yells at their child to much, or is emotional manipulative. This both more accurately describes what is going on in the relationship and does not not make any erroneous comparisons to physical or sexual abuse.
Do you agree with me or think I am dead wrong? Let me know in the comments.