Abuse and mistreatment happen when someone in a trusted relationship causes harm or distress.
This can be done on purpose or by accident. It can occur at home, in familiar places, or where care is provided, often by family, friends, carers, or neighbours. Abuse can go unnoticed and continue without anyone suspecting it.
Who is at risk?
Abuse can affect you or someone you know regardless of background. People might be at higher risk if they:
- Depend more on others for daily activities.
- Rely on others to manage finances.
- Feel isolated.
- Live with others.
- Experience age-related frailty.
- Have a long-term or sudden illness.
- Struggle with confusion or memory problems.
- Have dementia or illnesses affecting memory.
- Face mental health challenges.
- Have a history of trauma or domestic violence.
- Deal with drug or alcohol dependency.
- Engage in addictive behaviours.
Recognising these risk factors can help you stay aware and seek support if needed.
How to recognise abuse or mistreatment
Abuse can be physical, emotional, sexual, psychological or financial. Mistreatment includes neglect and inadequate care. Some types are subtle and hard to spot. In severe cases, you may need to involve the police if a crime has been committed.
Physical abuse: Hitting or injuring someone on purpose or restraining them inappropriately.
Psychological or emotional abuse: Using language or actions to intimidate someone and create fear of violence, isolation, deprivation, or powerlessness. These actions aim to undermine a person's identity, dignity, or self-worth.
Sexual abuse: Involving someone in unwanted or misunderstood sexual activity or giving them unwanted sexual attention.
Social abuse: Forcing someone into isolation, restricting or stopping social contact with others including social activities that can hide abuse from outside scrutiny.
Neglect: Not providing necessities like food, shelter, medical or social care, or stopping others from helping. This does not include self-neglect.
Financial abuse or exploitation: Stealing or misusing money, property, or personal possessions, including applying pressure related to wills, property, or inheritance.
Denial of basic rights: Unreasonably denying the basic rights of a person who may be vulnerable to abuse.
Chemical or substance abuse: Any misuse of drugs, alcohol, medications and prescriptions, including the withholding of medication and over-medication.
Exploitation of trust or authority: Abusing or exploiting a position of trust or authority between a vulnerable adult and another person.
Coercive control: intentionally taking away someone's freedom and identity through threats, exploitation, and intimidation. This control can involve technology, systems, and even other people, including children. It is a pattern of ongoing, repeated abusive behaviours.
Impact of abuse or mistreatment
Abuse can impact you or someone you know in many ways, including:
- Feeling depressed, anxious, or having trouble sleeping.
- Loss of appetite, dignity, interest in life, or personal hygiene.
- Experiencing feelings of insecurity, guilt, worthlessness, or low self-esteem.
- Feeling powerless and helpless to change the situation.
- Fearing that confronting the abuser could lead to losing a relationship, home, family members, friends or pets.
- Facing homelessness, or significant loss of property, assets, and finances.
- Being forced into unwanted residential aged care.
- Suffering premature death through neglect.
If you notice any of these signs in yourself or someone you know, it is important to seek help.
Preventing Abuse
Our page on preventing abuse or mistreatment provides suggested ways to help prevent abuse.
Where can I get help?
If you are concerned about the treatment of yourself or another person there are services to help.