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Cited by 3Child Abuse and TraumaIntimate Partner and Family ViolenceChild and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 16 of the 18 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.

Unheard and unseen: a systematic literature review of emotional abuse among Indian adolescents.

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Waseem, Afreen, Firdous, Naila·2025·Adolescents
DOI 10.3390/adolescents5030041
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Abstract

Background: Emotional abuse is both prevalent and underrecognized particularly in culturally complex settings like India. Adolescents, being in a critical developmental phase, are especially vulnerable to the long-lasting psychological effects of emotional abuse. This qualitative literature review aims to synthesize findings from primary studies that explore the lived experiences of emotional abuse among Indian adolescents and identify emerging patterns across sociocultural contexts. Method: Electronic databases, including DOAJ, Google Scholar, ProQuest, JSTOR, Pubmed, PsycNet, and SCOPUS, were searched for peer-reviewed articles published in English up to March 2025. Inclusion criteria comprised qualitative or mixed-methods research focusing on emotional abuse among adolescents aged 12–20 in Indian contexts. The Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) was used for quality assessment. Results: Five major thematic domains were identified across the included studies: (1) Family as a primary site of emotional abuse; (2) Gendered experiences of abuse; (3) Cultural normalization and silence; (4) Psychological and emotional consequences; and (5) Coping and resilience among adolescents. These themes reflect shared experiences of emotional abuse shaped by cultural, familial, and gender-based expectations. Conclusions: This review highlights the urgent need for increased awareness and culturally sensitive interventions addressing emotional abuse in Indian adolescents. The findings suggest that parents, educators, and policymakers must recognize emotionally harmful behaviors and implement prevention-oriented strategies, particularly through non-violent communication and adolescent mental health support frameworks.

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Research works printed but not linked: 17

  1. Arnett, J.J. (2007). Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood: A Cultural Approach, Pearson Education. [3rd ed.].
  2. Hickox, 1989, Psychological maltreatment of children in Indian families: A cultural perspective, Indian J. Clin. Psychol., 16, 61
  3. Alam, 2015, A study of perceived parental behavior and its impact on self-esteem and aggression among adolescents, Int. J. Indian Psychol., 2, 101
  4. Neshen, 2015, Emotional abuse and its psychological consequences among adolescents, Int. J. Indian Psychol., 7, 234
  5. Zhang, 2019, Childhood emotional abuse and adolescent flourishing: A moderated mediation model, Child Abus. Negl., 98, 104150
  6. Kaur, 2024, Examining emotional abuse in the context of urban Indian dating relationships, Int. J. Indian Psychol., 12, 77
  7. Sagone, 2014, Relationships between resilience, self-concept, and coping strategies in adolescence, Procedia Soc. Behav. Sci., 116, 2292
  8. Gao, 2019, Emotional abuse and depression among adolescents: The mediating role of resilience, Psychiatry Res., 272, 632
  9. Damodaran, 2014, Life skills training and psychological well-being of institutionalized adolescents, Int. J. Humanit. Soc. Sci. Invent., 3, 27
  10. Trivedi, 2023, Teachers’ emotional maltreatment and its psychological impact: A student perspective, J. Sch. Psychol. India, 14, 21
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  12. Sriram, 2023, Cultural silence and adolescent distress: A qualitative study of emotional abuse, J. Indian Psychol., 9, 77
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  15. Nadeem, 2023, Culture, honor, and silence: The social construction of emotional abuse, J. Fam. Psychol., 37, 210
  16. Bornstein, 2008, Cross-cultural comparisons of parenting, Parent. Sci. Pract., 8, 1
  17. Chaudhry, 2023, Cultural collectivism, intimate partner violence, and women’s mental health in South Asia, J. Soc. Issues, 79, 45

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Metadata

Authors
Waseem, A., & Firdous, N.
Affiliations
  • GITAM University (IN)
  • Aligarh Muslim University (IN)
Corresponding author
Waseem, Afreen
ORCID
Waseem, Afreen
Venue
Adolescents
Publisher
MDPI AG
Published
2025-08-01
Volume
5
Issue
3
Pages
41
ISSN
2673-7051 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.3390/adolescents5030041
OpenAlex
W4412940643
Cited by
3
References
16
Citations by year
2026: 3
FWCI
0.67
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Adolescents (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child Abuse and Trauma
  • Social Sciences › Health › Intimate Partner and Family Violence
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
Keywords
emotional abuse, Indian adolescents, family-based abuse, psychological effects of abuse, coping and resilience, nonviolent communication, adolescent mental health, abuse prevention, sociocultural context

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