News

It is heartening to read that the authorities are giving attention to emotional abuse in family violence July 13). In cases of emotional violence where the abusers are highly educated, they usually outwit and control their victims with their relatively higher socio-economic status, better access to resources, and wider social circle to make their victims feel isolated. Such abusers often exploit the introverted nature of victims through manipulative behaviours such as limiting their contact with their already narrow circle of external relationships and controlling their finances and physical freedom. Over time, the abusers establish themselves as the sole validation in the victim’s life while the victim finds it increasingly difficult to escape the abuser’s clutches and has to act according to his will.   Unlike physical violence with detectable body injuries that easily warrant immediate action from social workers and the police, victims of emotional violence often lack the evidence to substantiate their sufferings to the authorities, and often feel deterred from seeking the necessary help because they fear being labelled as mentally weak.