| Types of Abuse |
| Type |
Definition |
| Physical |
Assault, hitting, slapping, pushing, misuse of medication, rough handling, restraint or inappropriate physical sanctions. |
| Sexual |
Rape, indecent exposure, sexual harassment, inappropriate looking or touching, sexual teasing or innuendo, sexual photography, subjection to pornography or witnessing sexual acts, indecent exposure and sexual assault or sexual acts to which the adult has not consented or was pressured into consenting. |
| Financial or Material |
Including theft, fraud, internet scamming, coercion in relation to an adult’s financial affairs or arrangements including in connection with wills, property, inheritance or financial transactions and the misuse or misappropriation of property, possessions or benefit. An adult may be persuaded to part with large sums of money/life savings. Such concern should always be reported to the Police and if relevant, local Trading Standards for further investigation. Local Trading Standards should be involved in the work of Safeguarding Adults Boards. Where this abuse is perpetrated by someone with authority to manage the adults finances, the Office of the Public Guardian should be informed (in relation to Deputies/Attorneys) or the DWP (for Appointees). |
| Discriminatory |
Discrimination on the grounds of race, faith or religion, age, disability, gender, sexual orientation and political views, along with racist, sexist, homophobic or ageist comments or jokes, or comments and jokes based on a person’s disability or any other form of harassment, slur or similar treatment. Excluding a person from activities on the basis they are ‘not liked’ is also discriminatory abuse. |
| Neglect or Acts of Omission |
Ignoring medical, emotional or physical care needs, failure to provide access to appropriate health, social care or educational services, and the withholding of the necessities of life such as medication, adequate nutrition and heating. Neglect also includes a failure to intervene in situations that are dangerous to the person concerned or to others, particularly when the person lacks the mental capacity to assess risk for themselves. |
| Domestic Abuse |
The Domestic Abuse Act 2021 defines Domestic Abuse as:
A person (“A”) is considered to be abusing another person (“B”) if:
- Both A and B are aged 16 or over, and
- They are “personally connected”, and
- The behaviour is abusive.
Abusive Behaviour Includes:
- Physical or sexual abuse
- Violent or threatening behaviour
- Controlling or coercive behaviour
- Economic abuse (e.g., controlling someone’s access to money or resources)
- Psychological, emotional or other abuse
The Act also recognises that children who see, hear, or experience the effects of domestic abuse are considered victims in their own right. |
| Psychological |
Emotional abuse, threats of harm or abandonment, deprivation of contact, humiliation, blaming, controlling, intimidation, coercion, harassment, verbal abuse, cyber bullying, isolation or unreasonable and unjustified withdrawal of services or supportive networks. |
| Modern Slavery |
Slavery, servitude and forced or compulsory labour. A person commits an offence if:
The person holds another person in slavery or servitude and the circumstances are such that the person knows or ought to
know that the other person is held in slavery or servitude, or
The person requires another person to perform forced or compulsory labour and the circumstances are such that the person
knows or ought to know that the other person is being required to perform forced or compulsory labour.
There are many different characteristics that distinguish slavery from other human rights violations, however only one needs to be present for slavery to exist. Someone is in slavery if they are:
- Forced to work through mental or physical threat;
- Owned or controlled by an 'employer', usually through mental or physical abuse or the threat of abuse;
- Dehumanised, treated as a commodity or bought and sold as 'property';
- Physically constrained or has restrictions placed on his/her freedom of movement.
Contemporary slavery takes various forms and affects people of all ages, gender and races.
Adults who are enslaved are not always subject to human trafficking. Recent court cases have found homeless adults, promised
paid work opportunities enslaved and forced to work and live in dehumanised conditions, and adults with a learning
difficulty restricted in their movements and threatened to hand over their finances and work for no gains.
From 1 November 2015, specified public authorities have a duty to notify the Secretary of State of any individual identified
in England and Wales as a suspected victim of slavery or human trafficking, under Section 52 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015. |
| Organisational |
Is the mistreatment, abuse or neglect of an adult by a regime or individuals in a setting or service where the adult lives or that they use. Such abuse violates the person’s dignity and represents a lack of respect for their human rights. |
| Self-Neglect (including hoarding) |
Where someone demonstrates lack of care for themselves and / or their environment, and /or refuses assistance or services. It can be long-standing or recent and covers a wide range of behaviour for example, neglecting to care for one's personal hygiene, health or surroundings and includes behaviours such as hoarding. |