Verbal Abuse of Children

Verbal Abuse of Children By Elton Camp While it’s true that words may not break bones They can lead to a lifetime of sorrowful moans When said to a child, far more than an adult Feelings of rejection & no worth may result To tell some kid that he’s stupid as can be Often becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy To say that you wish he’d never been born Can cause him in utter dismay to mourn To say, “Everything was fine till you came along” Makes a child feel his whole existence is wrong To exclaim, “You’re the ugliest I’ve ever seen” Can destroy the ego even of some beauty queen The words, “You’ll never amount to a thing” Self-loathing to an innocent child may bring I grew up hearing such hatred from my dad Even now, as an old man, it makes me sad