There are a number of different types of abuse including:
When someone physically hurts you or treats you badly
When someone does things, or says things that upset you or makes you feel frightened
When someone makes you do things that you do not want to do
When someone fails to provide adequate care that you need in order to live safely
When you do things that other people feel put your safety at risk
Abuse is always wrong and it is never your fault.
If you are being abused or are worried that you or someone you know is being abused tell someone you trust about it or Report It!
More details about the different types of abuse can be found below.
Physical abuse
This is when someone physically hurts you
This can include:
Someone hitting you
Someone punching you
Someone burning you
Someone holding you down and preventing you leaving
Someone giving you the wrong medication
Domestic violence
If someone you are or have been in an intimate relationship with (like your boyfriend or girlfiriend, your partner or husband or wife) or a family member uses their power to control, hurt or frighten you.
This can include:
Physical abuse
Emotional abuse
Sexual abuse and sexual exploitation
Financial abuse
Forced Marriage
Honour based violence
Female Genital Mutilation
Sexual abuse and sexual exploitation
This is when someone touches your body or private parts of your body in ways that you do not like or want and have not agreed to.
It also happens when someone else makes you do things that you have not agreed to and makes you feel frightened.
This can include someone:
Rape
Touching private parts of your body i.e. your bottom, breasts or genitalia
Making you touch other people in these places when you have not agreed to this
Making you watch other peoples sexual acts
Making you look at pornographic images or videos when you do not want to
Putting you under pressure to agree to any sexual acts when you have said no
Sexual teasing
Emotional abuse
This is when people say or do things to hurt your feelings, shout at you or threaten you.
This can include:
Calling you names
Threatening you
Controlling what decisions you make about your life
Blaming you for things which are not your fault
Ignoring you
Laughing at you
Bullying you
Treating you like a child
Financial abuse
This is when someone takes your money or belongings without asking.
This can be when someone:
Steals your money
Take control of your money without your permission
Makes you pay for other peoples things
Takes things that belong to you without your permission
Putting you under pressure
to make a will, or change an existing will
Encouraging you to sell your property against your wishes
Uses your name and personal details to obtain a credit card, or other financial credit.
Click here for Financial Scamming - A Brief Guide
Modern slavery
This is when someone uses their power over you and treats you in a way that they own you.
This can include:
Forcing you to work without pay through the fear of violence
Forcing you to work to pay off debt
Forcibly moving you from where you live to another area
Forcing you into marriage against your wishes
Discriminatory abuse
This is when people treat you unfairly because you are different to them.
This could be because you:
Are from a different cultural background
Have different religious beliefs
Are disabled
Are lesbian or gay
Are a different gender
Are an older or younger person
Speak a different language
Organisational abuse
This is when paid staff in a hospital, care home, a supported living setting, or your own home do not care for you in a way that respects your rights or individual views.
This can be when:
There are not enough staff on duty most of the time
The staff are not trained to support you safely
The rules and routines are made by the managers and staff
Staff do not respect your privacy
Staff do not respect your individual needs and views
Your personal things are used by or for someone else
Neglect
This is when people who are there to help you do not look after you properly, or provide the support that you need.
This can include:
People failing to provide the support you need to prepare meals and eat.
People failing to provide the support you need to keep safe
People failing to help you get medical help when you need it
People not supporting you to keep clean
People not supporting you to wear clean clothes
Self neglect
This is when people are concerned about the decisions you are making about how you live your life, which have a direct impact on your safety and wellbeing.
This can include people being concerned that you are:
Not keeping yourself clean enough to stay healthy
Not looking after your own health
Not looking after your home environment – for example hoarding
This does not mean you cannot make decisions about how to live your life.
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