When Words Isolate: Associations Between Verbal Violence and Loneliness Among People With Intellectual Disabilities

ABSTRACT Objectives To investigate the association between experiencing and perpetrating verbal violence and loneliness among people with intellectual disabilities. Method One hundred and nine individuals with an intellectual disability who reported on their exposure to and perpetration of various types of verbal violence and experience of loneliness. Results Approximately half of the participants experienced at least one type of verbal violence ‘a lot’ or ‘all of the time’ in the past month. Those who frequently experienced humiliation, being yelled at, being insulted and being laughed at reported greater loneliness than those who did not. Twenty‐five participants reported that they perpetrated at least one type of verbal violence frequently over the past month and reported more loneliness than those who did not. Conclusions The study findings highlight an association between frequently experiencing and perpetrating verbal violence and loneliness. It underscores the importance of early identification, increased awareness and the development of interventions aimed at reducing the occurrence of verbal violence and mitigating its potential adverse effects.