Types of Abuse

What is abuse?

Abuse is any action by another person, adult or child, that causes significant harm to a child. It can occur in different ways – physical, emotional, sexual and neglect.

Abuse (also called Significant Harm) can happen to a child at any age. Abusers can be adults but not just parents or carers, abuse often occurs within a relationship of trust.

Regardless of the type of abuse, it is important to remember that any form of abuse is damaging to everyone.

Physical Abuse

Physical abuse is deliberately causing physical harm to a child. This might involve hitting, kicking, biting, burning, scalding, shaking, punching, beating and throwing objects. It also includes giving a child illegal drugs and alcohol, poisoning, suffocating and drowning.

Physical harm may also be caused when a parent or carer fabricates the symptoms of illness in a child.

In pregnancy an unborn child can be harmed by domestic abuse.

Emotional Abuse

Emotional abuse can occur in many forms and is repeated behaviour. It might be by criticism, threats, shouting, making fun of, bullying and leaves the child or young person feeling unloved, worthless, frightened and in danger.

Some level of emotional abuse is involved in all types of ill treatment of children, or it may occur alone. Children who are emotionally abused suffer emotional maltreatment or neglect. It’s sometimes called psychological abuse and can cause children serious harm.

Sexual abuse

Sexual abuse also comes in many forms including Sexual Exploitation and Female Genital Mutilation. It occurs when a child or young person are forced or persuaded to carry out sexual activities. It can involve physical contact and non- contact activities. Abusers can be men, women and other children or young people.

Neglect

Neglect occurs when there is a failure to meet a child’s basic or psychological needs. This can be by failing to provide adequate food, clothing, housing, education, medical care as well as failing to keep them safe from harm. In pregnancy neglect may occur as a result of misusing alcohol and drugs.

Domestic Abuse

Domestic abuse is the physical, emotional, verbal, sexual or financial abuse of one person by another with whom they have or have had an intimate or family-type relationship. It arises from the misuse of power and control by one person over another. It is rarely a one-off event but tends to escalate in frequency and severity over time. Abuse in the home is more widespread than you think. It affects men and women of all ages, ethnicities, orientations and income levels, regardless of ability. It is not easy to accept that a loved one can behave so aggressively and because you cannot explain the behaviour, you assume that it is your fault. You are not to blame for your partner's behaviour.