verbal abuse news stories on Newser

Mickey Rooney Accuses Stepson of Bullying, Abuse

Evann Gastaldo — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 10:13:49 CST

Mickey Rooney "is effectively a prisoner in his own home," according to a court filing accusing his stepson of verbally abusing the 90-year-old actor and withholding food and medicine. A judge granted Rooney a temporary restraining order against Chris Aber on Monday, ordering Aber to stay 100 yards away from...

French Law Makes Insulting Spouse a Crime

Rob Quinn — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 04:56:00 CDT

Repeatedly insult your husband or wife, and France could lock you up for up to three years under its new law aimed at tackling psychological violence. The law's supporters note that "mental violence" like insults or threats is the cause of most of the calls to abuse helplines. Critics, however,...

France May Make Nagging a Crime

Jane Yager — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 07:33:00 CST

The wrong answer to "do I look fat?" or "honey, why don't you empty the dishwasher?" could have French couples heading for court if a new bill criminalizing "psychological violence" between married couples becomes law. The legislation, put forward by the Sarkozy government, aims to combat bullying and verbal abuse...

Survey Reveals Abuse In Teen, Tween Dating

Victoria Floethe — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 17:45:53 CDT

Tween and teen dating is far from a bunch of innocent hand-holding: A survey finds 69% of teens who have had sex by 14 have suffered physical or emotional abuse in relationships, with only half of tweens knowing how to recognize a hurtful relationship. CBS reports more stats: The survey...

Lynne Spears: Manager Drugged, Abused Britney

Matt Cantor — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 16:55:35 CST

Britney Spears' manager has been drugging and verbally attacking the singer, her mom said in papers filed to support her application for a restraining order against Sam Lutfi. Lynne Spears says in a document dated Jan. 31 that Lutfi "claims to control everything"—he cut her daughter's phone lines, removed...