Safeguarding Adults - What is abuse

“Abuse is a violation of an individual’s human and civil rights by any other person or persons.”  (No Secrets, DoH 2000)

It may be a single act or a series of repeated acts over time. This may include:-

• Physical (inc. hitting, slapping, pushing, kicking, misuse of medication, restraint or inappropriate sanctions) 
• Psychological (inc. emotional abuse, threats of harm or abandonment, deprivation of contact, humiliation, blaming, controlling, intimidation, coercion, harassment, verbal abuse, isolation or withdrawal from services or support networks)
• Sexual (inc. rape, sexual assault or any sexual acts where the person has not consented, could not consent or was pressurised into consenting)
• Financial (inc. theft, fraud, exploitation, pressure in connection with wills, property, inheritance or financial transactions or the misuse of property, possessions or benefits)
• Discriminatory (inc. discrimination on the grounds of race, faith or religion, age, disability, gender, sexuality)
• Neglect and acts of omission (inc. ignoring medical or physical care needs, failure to provide access to appropriate health, social care or educational services, withholding of necessities of life such as medication, adequate nutrition and heating)
• Institutional (inc. incidents of abuse as outlined above by one or more staff members inclusive of isolated incidents and pervasive ill treatment or gross misconduct by one or more staff. Repeated incidences of poor care)
• Domestic Abuse (inc. incidents of abuse as outlined above by a partner, ex-partner or family member, regardless of gender or sexuality. It can also include forced marriages, female genital mutilation and so-called “honour crimes”)
• Fabricated or Induced Illness (inc. harm resulting from fictitious illness by a relative or carer, which includes invented illness or induced or directly fabricated illness)     

It may occur in any relationship and may result in significant harm to, or the serious exploitation, of the person subjected to it.

Significant harmshould be taken to include not only ill treatment but also:-

• The impairment of or avoidable deterioration in the individual’s physical or mental health, or
• The impairment or avoidable deterioration in physical, intellectual, emotional, social or behavioural development   

Note: It is important to remember that the presence of one or more indicators does not confirm abuse or neglect. A cluster of several signs and indicators may indicate a potential for abuse or neglect and identifies the need for further assessment of the situation. Nor is the above an exhaustive list, they are examples.