What is worse Physical abuse, emotional abuse, or verbal abuse?
Every single one can screw a person up - be they adult or child. And most happen in some combination.
I've never been told any tale of abuse and thought "that's the one to have." .
No vote here.
 RavenCT
                                                
                                                Level 9
                                                Oct 1, 2018
                                            
                                                
                                                    RavenCT
                                                
                                                Level 9
                                                Oct 1, 2018                                            
                                        On the other hand, it seems to me that both physical and verbal abuse lead to emotional abuse. And probably the abuser either conciously or subconciously intends their physical or verbal abuse to cause emotional harm. I can't say that I was ever physically abused (that I remember), but did suffer verbal abuse from my alcoholic father, and I'm sure his intention was to hurt me emotionally. Although I've always referred to this as psychological abuse, it amounts to the same thing.
@bingst Absolutely. You never have to lay a hand on someone to cause them unending harm. I saw way too much of this. (working with clients).
And in my book - it being done to a kid who usually has no decision making power over leaving? That is the worst.
At least an adult has some decision over staying or going.
Even when they believe they don't. 
With all due respect it's kind of a ridiculous question. It is sort of like asking, " which is a worse way to die, being impaled by your steering column, or being decapitated by a guard rail through the windsheild?". In either case the outcome is the same and both are pretty bad. All abuse is bad snd there is no slide rule of better or worse. Its just a matter of the extent of abuse.
 t1nick
                                                
                                                Level 8
                                                Oct 2, 2018
                                            
                                                
                                                    t1nick
                                                
                                                Level 8
                                                Oct 2, 2018                                            
                                        Emotional abuse. Mainly because it is the emotional abuse component that leads to victims of physical abuse to stay with their abuser. Without the emotional abuse more women and men would get the hell out upon the first occurrence of violence. By the time physical abuse happens self-worth is almost non-existent.
 PhoebeCat
                                                
                                                Level 7
                                                Oct 1, 2018
                                            
                                                
                                                    PhoebeCat
                                                
                                                Level 7
                                                Oct 1, 2018                                            
                                        Yes.
Why is there NOT a " All of the above" option as well.
Every form of abuse is as bad as the next in my opinion.
 Triphid
                                                
                                                Level 9
                                                Oct 2, 2018
                                            
                                                
                                                    Triphid
                                                
                                                Level 9
                                                Oct 2, 2018                                            
                                        I did not put a All of the Above..because obviously they are all bad but I wanted to see what people thought...about them individually
Abuse is abuse. Bad news anyway you experience it.
 Razorjelly
                                                
                                                Level 7
                                                Oct 2, 2018
                                            
                                                
                                                    Razorjelly
                                                
                                                Level 7
                                                Oct 2, 2018                                            
                                        Physical abuse sucks. I feel like verbal abuse should be included in emotional abuse.
Emotional abuse takes hard work and incredible time to heal. Bruises heal much faster. Both can be deadly.
 Bunnista
                                                
                                                Level 4
                                                Oct 2, 2018
                                            
                                                
                                                    Bunnista
                                                
                                                Level 4
                                                Oct 2, 2018                                            
                                        All forms of abuse are emotional. Physical wounds heal, but the emotional element endures. Verbal abuse is only words, what lasts is the feelings those words evoke. Without the mind the body is nothing. The scars that can't be seen are the hardest to heal.
 RochesterFlier
                                                
                                                Level 5
                                                Oct 1, 2018
                                            
                                                
                                                    RochesterFlier
                                                
                                                Level 5
                                                Oct 1, 2018                                            
                                        The worst abuse is the self abuse of enduring being abused.
 Annaise
                                                
                                                Level 5
                                                Oct 1, 2018
                                            
                                                
                                                    Annaise
                                                
                                                Level 5
                                                Oct 1, 2018                                            
                                        Agree...why I left my ex years ago
It doesn't matter what kind of abuse it is, whether it be physical, mental, or verbal, they all do significant damage. It's like asking which form of energy is better, coal, nuclear, or natural gas. It doesn't matter because in the end all you are doing is heating water to steam to spin a turbine. Abuse is abuse no matter the form.
 Captain747ex
                                                
                                                Level 7
                                                Oct 1, 2018
                                            
                                                
                                                    Captain747ex
                                                
                                                Level 7
                                                Oct 1, 2018                                            
                                        This ^^
@RavenCT Thank you.