Adult Protection Unit
Most abuse is a crime!!
 | All people have a right to live a life free from violence and abuse |
Abuse covers a wide range of actions; it is defined as the violation of an individual’s human or civil rights by any other person or people. Abuse occurs when a person is harmed, mistreated, exploited or neglected. In some cases abuse is clearly deliberate and intentionally unkind and in other cases abuse happens because somebody does not know how to act correctly, or they haven’t got appropriate help and support.
Some adults are more vulnerable to abuse and neglect than others. Our service covers these people. People who may have physical and sensory impairments, people with long-term or chronic illnesses, people with mental health problems, people with learning disabilities, older people who are frail. We also cover carers: people who provide informal care to another adult, for example a partner, relative or friend.
Some examples of abuse
Physical abuse
Sexual abuse
Neglect
Institutional abuse
Financial abuse
Emotional abuse
Discriminatory abuse
Who abuses?
Anyone can be an abuser, including those closest to the victim. It can be a family member, a friend, a carer, an organisation, another service user or a stranger.
Sometimes abuse can be unintentional. This may happen as a result of lack of training or awareness about what abuse is.
Who is abused?
Some adults have a higher risk of being abused, for example people with a learning disability or mental health problems, people with physical or sensory impairments, people with chronic or terminal illnesses and older people. These people also find it harder to get help to stop abuse.
Where can abuse take place?
Abuse can happen anywhere such as in a person’s own home, in the street, in a residential or nursing home, at a day centre or resource centre or in a hospital.
