Verbal abuse is hostile language that hurts the listener and is not accidental.
Verbal abuse can be just as life-threatening as a loaded gun.
One is just as likely as the other. Anyone can be a verbal abuser, including small children and people who are physically very frail. Women are a bit more likely to be verbal victims because they are so often outranked in our society, but male verbal victims are in no way unusual. Almost no expert help is available unless the individual has access to a professional therapist. You can't call the police or a social service agency and complain that you've been verbally abused.