History

• Historically, domestic violence laws centered on physical abuse. In more recent times, these laws include mental and emotional abuse that can be the result of verbal attacks by a husband.
  
  

Identification

• A verbally abusive husband is defined as an individual who consistently engages in a pattern and practice of verbally attacking his spouse. In most instances, an isolated instance of verbal hostility does not rise to the level of verbal abuse.
  
  

Potential

• Verbal abuse often progresses to physical abuse, according to Patricia Evans, writing in the book, "The Verbally Abusive Relationship." Taking action to end verbal abusive helps prevent escalation.
  
  

Misconceptions

• The words used by a verbally abusive husband can seriously affect a wife's mental and emotional well-being.
  
  

Prevention/Solution

• The best course to prevent verbal abuse is for a husband to engage in intensive therapy, including anger control, according to "The Verbally Abusive Relationship."