Safeguarding adults (adult protection) procedures
What is adult abuse?
Abuse is a violation of an individual's human and civil rights by any other person or persons.
Abuse can take many forms:
- Physical abuse, including hitting, slapping, pushing, kicking, misuse of medication, restraint, or inappropriate sanctions
- Sexual abuse, including rape and sexual assault or sexual acts to which the vulnerable adult has not consented, or could not consent, or was pressured into consenting
- Psychological abuse, including emotional abuse, threats of harm or abandonment, deprivation of contact, humiliation, blaming, controlling, intimidation, coercion, harassment, verbal abuse, isolation or withdrawal from services or supportive networks
- Financial or material abuse, including theft, fraud, exploitation, pressure in connection with wills, property or inheritance of financial transactions, or the misuse of misappropriation of property, possessions or benefits
- Neglect and acts of omission, including ignoring medical or physical care needs, failure to provide access to appropriate health, social care or educational services, the withholding of the necessities of life, such as medication, adequate nutrition and heating
- Discriminatory abuse, including racist, sexist, ageist or that based on a persons disability or sexuality and other forms of harassment, slurs or similar treatment
Who are vulnerable adults?
The term 'vulnerable adult' refers to any person aged 18 years and over who: '...is or may be in need of community care services by reason of mental or other disability, age or illness and who is or may be unable to take care of himself or herself, or unable to protect himself or herself against significant harm or serious exploitation'. This also includes those adults at risk owing to their caring role or family responsibilities.
Why does adult abuse occur?
There are many reasons why people are abused. Each incident is different and abuse may range from a one-off act of frustration to the systematic and premeditated terrorising of a vulnerable adult. In very general terms, abuse is linked to the vulnerability of one adult and the actions of someone involved in their life.
Vulnerability places people at risk. For example, if someone else has to deal with a person's financial affairs the possibility of abuse is introduced. Likewise, if a person with caring responsibilities has a drink or drug problem, or is under stress as a result of the caring task, he or she may respond inappropriately, either accidentally or deliberately.
