This research project is a literature review focusing on child emotional abuse by parents. It focuses on emotional abuse because it is often underrepresented in mainstream media and perceived as less harmful, when in fact many survivors of abuse have said that emotional abuse was the most long-lasting and harmful kind of abuse they'd experienced. Additionally, this project is an effort to draw the line between bad parenting and outright abuse, because there is a line, but it can often be misunderstood by many people, and as long as it is, many people in emotionally abusive relationships will not get the help they need.The role legal services (i.e.