Being hurt by what isn't there...
Emotional abuse is the invisible abuse: words leave marks on the inside of a child, not the outside. Emotional neglect happens when children do not receive the love and attention they need to feel good about themselves.
As children we use to say, "Sticks and stones will break my bones, but names will never hurt me," as a way to talk back to people bothering us. Little did we know that many of us were hurt in ways we could never dream of. Children suffer from the loss of the love and attention they do not receive. Every child needs to be loved, helped to grow, made to feel important and worthwhile.