Understanding Types and Cycle of Abuse

Types of Abuse:

• Abuse encompasses physical or mental harm inflicted by someone in a position of trust, be it a family member, partner, or caregiver.
• Abuse occurs across all social and cultural boundaries.
• Abuse implies a relationship where there is an abuser and an abused.
• The abuser often maintains control over the victim.
• Victims are often physically, emotionally, or financially dependent on the abuser.
• Physical abuse involves force or violence that results in pain and injury.
• Sexual abuse involves unwanted sexual activity, including sexual harassment.
• Emotional/psychological abuse includes words or actions that inflict mental harm.
• Financial abuse is the misuse of money or property.
• Neglect is failing to meet basic needs.
• Bullying and cyberbullying are also forms of abuse.

Cycle of Abuse:

• Often follows a pattern of tension-building, abuse, and a honeymoon phase.
• The time between abuse episodes tends to shorten, causing the abuse to be more frequent and intense.

Recognizing and Reporting Abuse:

• Support workers are responsible for spotting the signs of abuse.
• Support workers are not qualified to determine definitively if abuse is occurring.
• Report suspicions and observations of abuse to a supervisor immediately, and call 911 if abuse is actively happening, ensuring personal safety first.

Abusive Relationships:

• Abuse can occur in any relationship and in all types of families, regardless of socioeconomic or educational status.
• Abusive relationships are complex, with no single cause.
• Factors that increase the likelihood of abusive behavior includes substance abuse, mental illness or personality flaws, a history of personal abuse, and high-stress periods

Spousal Abuse:

• It is a type of abuse that occurs between intimate partners either in marriage or common-law relationships.
• Abuse can be physical, sexual, emotional, financial, or social.
• Abusers exert power and control.
• There is usually more than one type of abuse occurring.
• Individuals of all genders can experience spousal abuse.
• Women are statistically more severely injured on average.
• Male victims are less likely to report the abuse.
• Rates of domestic violence tend to increase when a woman is pregnant or caring for an infant.
• Victims would stay because of fear, financial reasons, guilt, or concern for children, feeling somehow responsible, feeling as though no one will believe them, and hope the partner will change.

Child Abuse:

• Involves mistreatment or neglect by a parent, guardian, or caregiver.
• It occurs in all social levels, and is a gross misuse of the caregiver's position of trust and authority.
• Abused children face lasting effects on social adjustment and are at a heightened risk of becoming abusers or committing crimes in the future.
• Physical abuse involves deliberate force that can lead to injuries and includes actions like shaking, choking, biting, kicking, burning, and restraining.
• Emotional abuse includes neglecting a child's need for affection, humiliation, rejection, name-calling, social isolation, intimidation, exploitation, creating terror, or making unreasonable demands.
• Child sexual abuse: encompasses rape, molestation, incest, pornography, and prostitution.
• Child neglect involves physical and emotional negligence. This includes depriving a child of basic needs or not meeting a child's needs to be loved.

High-Risk Situations for Child Abuse:

• Family crises such as divorce, unemployment, and poverty.
• Single-parenting situations involving stress and financial problems.
• Isolation with no close family or other relationships.
• Caring for children with special needs.
• Failure to thrive.

Prevention of Child Abuse:

• Parenting education and child abuse prevention programs.
• Being supportive.
• Educate children to recognize and reject abusive or exploitative advances.

Elder Abuse:

• Seniors are at risk for physical, sexual, emotional, and financial abuse, and neglect; financial and emotional abuse are the most common.
• Abusers are usually family members or the older adult’s primary caregiver.
• Older adults may not report abuse due to fear of the abuser or fear of being moved to a facility.
• Family caregiver roles and responsibilities are sometimes resented, which can make family caregivers abusive.

Risk Factors for Elder Abuse:

• Stress of caring for elderly adults, like caregiver exhaustion.
• Ageism: biased discrimination against older adults.
• Vulnerability: poor living conditions, unemployment, dislocation, racism, social isolation, disability, economic issues, and lack of access to community.

Abuse of Clients by Health Care Workers:

• It can occur in any setting, involving any member of the health care team.
• Clients are exposed to all types of abuse like the physical, sexual, emotional and financial.
• Abusive actions include misusing restraints, rough handling, isolating clients, stealing, irregular care plan reviews, ignoring calls for help, and failing to meet basic needs.
• Another form of abuse would be the violation of client rights by providing care against their will.
• It can occur when workers are under stress or lack proper training.
• There is no excuse for any support worker to be abusive.
• Workers must recognize their stress, and request help
• It may be necessary to request another assignment, and supervisors should be consulted immediately if a client is causing you stress.

Action When Clients Disclose Abuse:

• Listen attentively, show reassurance, and remain calm.
• Do not deny or ignore the problem.
• Reassure clients of your support.
• Notify your supervisor promptly and offer emotional support regardless of the client's decision.
• You cannot force them to make decisions.
• Respect the choices of informed adults, providing professional help for those incapable of making informed decisions.

Reporting Abuse Guidelines:

• Record specific, detailed, written observations, keep notes safely.
• Get the victim’s and reported abuser's name, address, age, gender, date and time of abuse.
• Describe the abuse/neglect with all facts.
• Keep it between those who need to know, and protect their privacy.

Legal Responsibilities of PSWs:

• Every Canadian province or territory has legislation making it a duty to report any case in which they have reason to suspect that a child or adult is being abused.
• Suspected child abuse must be reported to children’s aid.
• Abuse of older adults or disabled adults must be reported.
• Reports are protected from legal action.
• Failure to report can result in fines and jail time in some provinces.

Reporting Abuse Contacts:

• Kids' Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868
• Contacts: Child welfare agency, Social service agency, Police Department, Hospital, Mental health centre, Distress centre, Other community service organization, and Phone 211.

Abuse of Health Care Workers:

• Workers can experience abuse while on the job, with risks coming from family, team members, clients with mental illnesses/dementia/substance issues, and employers.
• Never accept or ignore abuse.
• If abuse occurs: Discuss it with a supervisor, document everything writing. Report to the police if needed. Examples include swearing, name calling, inappropriate touching, etc.

Inappropriate Sexual Behavior of Clients:

-Some clients are acting out on their sexual needs.

• Behavior may or may not be intentional (cognitive impairment) flirting, exposing themselves, masturbating, inappropriate touching
• Avoid people that are not supposed to touch you.
• Inform person you will not do what they want, tell them those behaviors are unacceptable and uncomfortable, discuss situation with nurse in charge, and look at Think About Safety Box, "What to do when a client is abusive.

Sexual Harassment:

• It is a form of sexual abuse that can occur in the workplace.
• Involves sexual comments, gestures, threats, suggestions that are offensive or uncomfortable from coworkers, families, and clients.
• Actions to take: firmly tell them that this is not acceptable and unwelcome, be assertive but never rude, Discuss with supervisor, and keep private documentations.
• All employers are required to protect women, and prevent sexual harassment.

Workplace Bullying:

• Canadian employers have a duty to ensure that their employees and employers are protected from risks at work, physically/mentally.
• Steps to take if you feel like you are being bullied, discriminated against, or victimized: tell the person to stop, take notes (journal), names of witnesses, keep copies of emails, report concerns, and do not retaliate.