It's been a playground retort to bullies for generations of children.
But it seems 'sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me', may not be true after all.
Verbal abuse of children could be as damaging to their mental health in adulthood as physical abuse, according to researchers.
Those exposed to such abuse when young were likely to feel disconnected, pessimistic, and emotionally unwell in later life, a study of more than 20,000 adults in England and Wales found.
Adults who were physically abused as children had a 52 per cent higher chance of experiencing low mental wellbeing.
