Tim complained that Beth thought he was lazy. Anne complained that Doug inferred she was stupid. Nick didn’t like being called an a** hole. Keri had an issue with Mike calling her the c*** word.

Name calling is verbally abusive. This form of attack insults and belittles one’s partner. It is considered contempt, which is the number one predictor of divorce. Most couples consider physical abuse unacceptable. Since research shows that verbal abuse can be as emotionally damaging as physical abuse, it is crucial that name calling also be considered unacceptable.