Abuse

Domestic abuse is defined as the abusive behaviour of a person towards another person, regardless of gender or sexuality, if both are aged 16 or over and are personally connected

Physical abuse is deliberately hurting or injuring an individual/s. This could include hitting, smacking, pushing, shaking, spitting, pinching, scalding, misusing medication, inappropriate restraint, inappropriate physical sanctions or other ways of causing physical harm.

Emotional abuse, also referred to as psychological abuse, is the attempt to scare, control or isolate an individual by intimidation or fear. It may involve deliberately telling someone that they are worthless, not giving them the opportunity to express their views, silencing or ‘making fun’ of them.

Self neglect is when a person being unable, or unwilling, to care for their own essential needs. It can cover a wide range of behaviour including neglecting personal hygiene, health or surroundings, refusal of necessary support and obsessive hoarding.

Sexual abuse involves a person being made to take part in sexual activity when they do not, or cannot, give consent. It may not involve physical contact and can also take place online. It can include sexual touching and all penetrative sex, but also things like indecent exposure and sexual harassment.

Online abuse is any type of abuse that happens on the internet, for example through social media, or mobile phones. Online abuse covers a wide range of behaviours and technologies. It can include trolling, stealing someone else’s identity, cyber-stalking and cyberbullying.

Neglect is the ongoing failure to meet an individuals basic and essential needs, either deliberately, or by failing to understand these. It includes ignoring a person’s needs, or withholding essentials to meet needs, such as medication, food, water, shelter and warmth.

Organisational abuse is the inability to provide a good level of care to an individual or group of people in a care setting such as a hospital or care home, or in a person’s own home if they receive care assistance there. It may be a one-off incident, repeated incidents or on-going ill-treatment.

Stalking can be defined as persistent and unwanted attention that makes you feel pestered and harassed. It includes behaviour that happens twice or more, directed at or towards you by another person, which causes you to feel alarmed or distressed or to fear that violence might be used against you.

Discriminatory abuse is unequal treatment based on age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion and belief, sex or sexual orientation. It can include insulting language, harassment or ill-treatment due to these personal characteristics.

Financial abuse can involve theft, fraud and exploitation, coercion in relation to an adult’s financial affairs or arrangements, including pressure in connection with wills, property, inheritance or financial transactions, or the misuse or misappropriation of property, possessions or benefits.

Having care and support needs can make people more vulnerable to domestic abuse. It can also make support agencies and advice harder to access.

In order to make a real difference in breaking the cycle of abuse, we need to look at a holistic, whole family approach.

Myths about domestic abuse – Women’s Aid (womensaid.org.uk) FearFree – Local Support for Domestic Abuse SafeLives Devon (not including Plymouth and Torbay): FearFree – Local Support for Domestic Abuse (03451551074)

Marac’s are multi agency risk assessment conferences that are held across Devon where key agencies get together to help safeguard families who are at a high risk of harm from abuse.

Training opportunities for professionals.