No worries, Hatfield. I'll try but there are lots of posters here much more eloquent.
In recent years, fortunately, verbal and psychological/emotional abuse are becoming much more understood as being detrimental. Years ago this just wasn't the case. (I had to fight tooth and nail for a restraining order because my abuse, while having physical overtones like threatening me with a gun, wasn't actually physically abusive in terms of battery.)
Calling someone a name is verbal abuse. Emotional abuse is a lengthy process of eroding someone's self worth using verbal abuse (among many other tactics) and this I believe is what they will claim - if they don't try for physical as well.
There are many abuse survivors and DV experts who have stated emotional abuse is
at least as detrimental and destructive as physical abuse. Jodi's defense could make the claim that emotional abuse very often escalates to physical violence (it does) and having a history of abuse Jodi did fear Travis. (I feared my ex greatly but he never hit me. I just always believed he would as it was a constant threat.)
The Jennifer Young case is a very classic example of how quickly an emotionally abusive relationship can become lethal. Having never hit her before Jason Young beat his pregnant wife to death. She'd only recently had her first appointment with a counselor who had to tell her that her marriage was verbally abusive. As is very common with victims of EA Michelle was seeking therapy to work on herself and what she perceived were her issues/problems.
HTH