Abuse is commonly defined as any action that intentionally harms or injures another person. In modern life abuse can take a wide range of forms such as spiritual abuse, sexual abuse and abuse that specifically targets the elderly. The word itself is often used without a full understanding of its true scope of meaning and as such is often used incorrectly or simply to make a strong argument. When a form of abuse is deemed to be criminal in nature, it will often lead to the perpetrator being subject to legal action. Serious forms of abuse are dealt with by the legal system and offenders are likely to be put on trial before facing a range of sanctions such as imprisonment or financial penalties if they are found to be guilty. This article describes three common types of abuse in detail.
Physical
Physical abuse is the act of willfully causing bodily harm to a person that results in injuries being sustained. Physical abuse can take place in a wide range of settings. It can include being the victim of a physical assault in public because of an attack. Often a physical assault can occur in the world of work. It is estimated that around 1.5 million assaults take place every year in American workplaces. Whilst assaults and physical violence can take place in any type of workplace, some types of workers are more susceptible to this form of violence. Taxi drivers are at an increased risk of being physically assaulted. This is often thought to be as a direct result of carrying a wide range of passengers, especially on evenings and weekends when some of the public may be intoxicated and aggressive as a result. Social workers and care staff are also at increased risk of being assaulted. This is often because they deal with patients who have a range of mental and physical problems which may cause them to become violent.
Sexual
Sexual abuse is defined as when sexual contact takes place without the consent of the victim. It can include sexual violence, touching and forced sex acts. Sadly, this form of abuse can take place in any society and can also involve the sexual exploitation or abuse of minors. In recent years there has been a wide range of prominent news articles that have reported on sexual abuse taking place within religious institutions. The catholic church has often been criticized in response to allegations of sexual abuse between priests and children or other members of the church. As such there are a growing number of priest abuse attorney staff who specialize in representing clients who have suffered sexual abuse whilst being a member of a church. Such cases are disturbing for society in general and often result in intense media coverage.
Financial
Financial abuse is the final example of a common form of abuse. It often happens when another person takes control of the affected parties finances and uses this as a method to exert control over them or withhold money. Sadly, the elderly generation are often at risk of this form of abuse and may have relatives or carers who gain control over their finances. In addition, people who live in abusive relationships may have a partner who uses financial abuse to control and coerce, often with other forms of abuse taking place.