Whether it appears to affect the victim or not, it's still emotional abuse. The victim may just take it in stride, because that's the norm in that relationship, but that doesn't mean it doesn't affect him/her. I'm guessing the person's self-esteem is in shreds from dealing with it.

YOU have ADJUSTED YOUR MECHANICS to ACCEPT THE ABUSE!
And abuse is abuse,,,when I was young,,and got beat by my dad,,
I DIDN'T LET IT EFFECT ME AFTER AWHILE,,,why?
Because I knew that my silents would be just a small bit for him TO THINK ABOUT WHAT i WAS thinking.
But see,,,his abuse cause me to change the REAL FEELINGS that abuse is suppose to generate...So by me making alterations to my pain levels and mind sets,,,I ACCEPTED his ABUSE,,,but it made ME unlike others....And THATS just WRONG to make another human being CHANGE who they were to be....so finding the real me after getting older, was a struggle..so YES,,,IF abuse of ANY kind,,,changes YOU,,,then it simply is wrong to have to had happen...
NOW,,,if the thought of the subject being 'abuse' can go un-noticed inside you? Why then CLASSIFY it,,as abuse?
If not it being abuse? YOU wouldn't THINK THE TERM to use! wink.
It would be ahhh, he got pisssed, and yelled a bit,,but no big deal.
In most cases...

Yeah, for example, a person can use abusive language on someone even though the abusive language didn't bother them.

Abusive behaviour is still abusive even if the person it's directed toward isn't affected by it.

good points everyone.