Physical and mental health effects of physical abuse may include bone and skin injuries, depression, trauma, social isolation, and difficulty trusting others.

“Abuse” is a broad term that describes a variety of experiences. It occurs when someone acts deliberately to harm you, often as a way of asserting power and control. Physical abuse refers specifically to abuse that involves acts against your physical self.

Physical abuse can include behaviors like:

  • hitting
  • slapping
  • pushing
  • punching
  • pinching
  • kicking
  • biting
  • burning
  • cutting
  • restraining

Physical abuse doesn’t have to involve direct violence. It can come in the form of physical threats, like raising a hand or fist against you, your family members, your belongings, or your pets. Sexual abuse is also a form of physical abuse.

The effects of physical abuse can vary for each person. Every experience is valid. Your circumstances, as well as your coping skills and support networks, can make a difference when it comes to the effects of physical abuse.

Approximately 1 out of 4 children experience some type of abuse or neglect in their lifetime. Of those children, around 18% experience physical abuse and 9% experience sexual abuse.

The possible effects of physical abuse during childhood can be far-reaching and may last into adulthood or even for a lifetime.

Short-term effects

In children, immediate effects of physical abuse may include:

  • cuts, bruises, broken bones, or other injuries
  • local or generalized pain
  • fear and anxiety
  • hypervigilance (being on edge, especially near the person with the abusive behavior)
  • feelings of shock, confusion, sadness, or helplessness
  • sudden changes in behavior or mood
  • trouble sleeping
  • persistent nightmares
  • low school attendance

The longer physical abuse goes on, the more it may affect a child’s development and function. However, one isolated event of physical abuse can also cause immediate and long-term challenges.

In addition to physical effects, children may also show the following:

  • aggressive behaviors or “acting out”
  • isolation and social withdrawal
  • difficulty trusting others
  • extreme aversion to authority figures
  • regressive behaviors, like returning to thumb sucking
  • unusual sexual behaviors or behaviors that put their safety in jeopardy
  • low self-esteem and self-confidence
  • self-harm or thoughts of death and suicide
  • learning challenges
  • low mood, like sadness and hopelessness
  • mimicking abusive behaviors (being physically abusive to others or pets)

Long-term effects

Over time, physical abuse can lead to chronic mental and physical health challenges.

Children who experience physical abuse have a higher chance of:

  • substance use
  • young unplanned pregnancy
  • sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
  • post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
  • impaired learning, attention, and memory
  • depression and anxiety disorders
  • overweight and obesity
  • sleep disturbances
  • physical symptoms without obvious cause, like frequent headaches or stomachaches
  • aggressive, violent, or unlawful behaviors
  • suicide ideation or self-harm

Heading into adulthood, many of these challenges can persist even after the physical abuse has stopped. Adults with a history of childhood physical abuse have an increased risk of a variety of mental and physical health conditions.

A 2024 large-scale study including more than 157,000 people found that experiences of physical and sexual abuse early in life were associated with 22 non-overlapping mental and physical health conditions, many of those requiring hospitalization, such as:

Adults with a history of childhood physical abuse may also experience challenges with attachment or forming and maintaining relationships, which could impair function across social, romantic, and occupational areas of life.

Anyone of any age can experience the effects of physical abuse.

When the abuse happens in adulthood, it might be referred to by other names, such as domestic violence, family violence, and elder abuse. It depends on the environment where the abuse is taking place.

Short-term effects

Physical abuse is just as impactful on adults as it is on children. Immediate effects can include:

  • cuts, bruises, broken bones, or other injuries
  • fear and anxiety
  • shock, disbelief, sadness, anger, and helplessness
  • hypervigilance
  • trouble sleeping
  • nightmares

The longer you experience physical abuse as an adult, the more likely you may be to experience ongoing challenges such as:

  • regular physical injury and pain
  • low-self esteem
  • social withdrawal or isolation
  • anxiety
  • depression
  • rapid mood changes or irritability
  • challenged concentration and memory
  • relationship strain
  • low job performance or attendance
  • weight changes
  • sleep difficulties
  • psychosomatic symptoms, which are physical ailments arising from psychological distress
  • dehydration or malnutrition, particularly in caregiver situations like elder abuse

Long-term effects

Over time, the effects of adult physical abuse can compound and contribute to physical and mental health challenges such as:

Physical abuse as an adult can impair your future relationships and interactions with others. You may find it difficult to set boundaries, for example, or communicate your needs effectively even after leaving the abusive relationship or situation.

Some people may experience patterns of revictimization, where low self-esteem and low self-worth increase vulnerability to new physically abusive situations.

Many effects of physical abuse can be reversed.

Mild physical injuries can heal with time. You can manage chronic conditions with medical treatment and lifestyle changes. And mental health guidance and support can help you restructure distressing ways of thinking and behaving.

Some effects of physical abuse may last a lifetime. Major injuries, for example, may never heal back to the way they were before. Some mental health challenges and behaviors may improve with management but never fully resolve.

Physical abuse occurs when someone threatens or deliberately causes you bodily harm.

Physical abuse is never your fault. Just because you weren’t seriously injured does not make the actions of that person acceptable or less abusive.

Effects of physical abuse in childhood and adulthood may include bodily injuries, trauma, depression, low self-confidence, and relationship difficulties.

It’s possible to recover from physical abuse as a child and as an adult. With the right psychological and medical support, you can heal your body and your mind.