Abstract:

Emotional abuse, in other words psychological abuse; is a type of abuse characterized by an individual’s exposure to or subordinate to another person, which may result in psychological trauma, including anxiety, chronic depression, or post-traumatic stress disorder. Although psychological abuse collects other types of abuse under its umbrella; it gains less interest than other types of abuse (sexual, physical) seen in intimate relationships. The fact that there is no physical evidence visible in psychological abuse can keep this type of abuse hidden for years. Even if a person is introduced to this type of abuse by his or her parents through his childhood, he can continue his life for years without even realizing that he has suffered psychological abuse. In this study, it is aimed to understand the psychological abuse of adults more clearly and to raise awareness about the topic. For this purpose, 85 participants who have a romantic relationship were subjected to a psychologically abusive behavioral questionnaire. As a result, participants were exposed to moderately abusive behaviors in romantic relationships. In addition, 51.28% of the participants exposed to these behaviors stated that they gained their awareness through questionnaires. The psychological abuse that few people can define is an essential issue to be recognized for the protection of both individual and social health.

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