The earlier and more pervasive the abuse, the greater the potential for crippling a child's development, socially, academically or otherwise. Whether we help our children develop a compassionate observer that assists them in handling frustration, or an inner critic that distracts them with self-accusation is largely the result of parental messages and modeling. Verbal abuse contributes to the creation of an inner critic that incriminates, rather than encourages a child in times of stress. Or it can contribute to depression, for even when we achieve we may feel as though it is never enough. Let's take a simple look at how the inner dialogue might work.
Natural frustration arises.
He is less likely to become distracted by his frustration, and more likely to focus his energy on successful problem solving. The experience of success creates a can do attitude which then reinforces self esteem for the next time new material must be mastered. But when a child has been the object of repeated name calling, he has more work to do in order to get through to the teaching dialogue. Harboring this belief may slow down, or block his progress altogether. He may even waste his energies lashing out at others, further delaying his attention to problem-solving.