IT is general knowledge that there are acts that are termed child abuse even if many may not understand the concept fully. But even among the unlettered, child abuse is not a strange concept but how many people know and agree that aside from sexual assault and domestic violence or gender-based violence, there are acts that are termed adult abuse, exploitation and neglect?
In today’s society and across religious, cultural or political affiliations or social status, adult abuse and exploitation occur regularly. Every adult is vulnerable and at risk of abuse. An adult can be said to be at risk of harm when such individual is exposed to harm through abuse, exploitation or neglect which may be aggravated as a result of individual habit, temperament or life circumstances such as physical or mental disabilities, special educational needs, mental or physical illness, living conditions, isolation, loneliness, age or work schedule or finances.
Adult abuse simply refers to a situation where someone misuses their power or the control they have over another individual in a way that causes emotional or mental distress as well as various forms of harm. And often, like in the case of child abuse, the abuser of an adult is usually someone in a close relationship with the adult; someone they trust or relates with like a spouse, relative, acquaintance and friends, neighbour or employer, though there are many cases of people abusing people they never met before.
Adult abuse comes in various forms; physical, financial abuse, emotional or psychological abuse, sexual abuse, institutional abuse, neglect and exploitation, among others. Though many fail to recognise it, institutional abuse is common in Nigeria especially in work places in the form of maltreatment or neglect of an adult by individuals who hold particular positions that help them exercise power.
It usually manifests where there are strict regimes and rigid routines that violate the dignity and fundamental human rights of adults and place them at risk of harm. This is usually found in factories where most workers are employed for casual labour. It also comes up where a culture that denies, restricts or curtails privacy, dignity and choice is in place.
There is also psychological or emotional abuse. This usually affects the mental well-being of the victim as it causes mental distress through verbal and non-verbal abuse and acts that humiliate and strip the dignity of an individual. This may include manipulation, abnormal control, intimidation, coercion, constant threats, inciting fear and humiliation.
Signs that indicate a person is going through emotional abuse include being withdrawn, lack of focus, irrational fear, inability to take a stand, showing compulsive behaviour and not being able to do things they used to do.
One of the most common forms of adult abuse is physical abuse. Domestic violence, gender-based violence, rape and assault usually fall under this. It is using physical force on an individual to force them to do what we like or generally intimidate them. Often, victims of physical abuse cover up for their abusers. This type of abuse comes through various forms like rough-handling, hitting, misuse or illegal use of restraint, denial of treatment, improper administration of medication and not being allowed to move freely.
Financial abuse is one major method that perpetrators of abuse use tohold their victim in line. It is also one of the reasons that advocates insist that women should have a source of income. It covers a lot of issues, including having unusual difficulty with finances, not having normal home comforts, lacking basic needs, not paying bills, exerting pressure around wills, property or inheritance and withholding pension or benefits among others.
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