Emotional Abuse is an attempt to control, in just the same way that physical abuse is an attempt to control another person. The only difference is that the emotional abuser does not use physical hitting, kicking, pinching, grabbing, pushing, or other physical forms of harm. Rather the perpetrator of emotional abuse uses emotion as his or her weapon of choice. Some examples are constant criticism, shaming and blaming with hostile sarcasm or outright verbal assault, the use of shaming and belittling language and verbal abuse such as name-calling, and withholding affection as punishment.