Verbal Self-Defense Written by: Devie Forrester, BA, Student
This article is inspired by an interesting read. Suzette Hagen Elgin, in her book The Gentle Art of Verbal Self- Defense, reminds us that the old adage, “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never harm me” does not necessarily hold true. Words can hurt and when they do, they hurt terribly. Many of us have a working knowledge of forms of abuse (physical, emotional, sexual etc). How acquainted are we with verbal abuse? Could this be a form of abuse that we experience daily, be it on the receiving or giving end? Who do you call when you experience verbal violence? According to Elgin, when someone has been verbally abused, they often find themselves struggling to find the root of the pain and aggression that they feel, directing their anger inward rather than toward their aggressor. Very few of us are trained in verbal self-defense. There are four basic principles of verbal self-defense. Know when you are under attack How easy is it for us to exit a conversation