Under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005, "verbal and emotional abuse" includes:

Explanation I(iii) to section 3 defines verbal and emotional abuse to include insults, ridicule, humiliation and name calling, especially about not having a child or a male child, and repeated threats to cause physical pain to any person in whom she is interested. Assault and criminal force are physical abuse, while denial of money and disposal of her stridhan are economic abuse.