Types, Indicators and Effects of Abuse

Physical

Physical abuse is deliberately causing someone injuries. Indicators of physical abuse include unexplained bruises, burns, cuts or broken bones.

Short term effects

Chronic pain could occur as a result of physical abuse. This could affect the victim in many ways for example if they are in a lot of pain they may not be able to go to work which would leave them in a financial disposition. It could also result in them having to take pain medication which can be expensive and have negative side effects. Another short-term effect of physical abuse is weight loss, this could be caused by the stress however ultimately it can leave the victim malnourished and lacking in essential vitamins which could weaken their immune system. Lastly another short-term effect of physical abuse could be stress. Stress can affect the body both physically and mentally, it can result in hair falling out and anxiety which could lower self-confidence and make the victim isolate themselves further.

Long term effects

Anxiety could be a long- term effect of physical abuse. It can have many implications in varying degrees of severity such as; not being able to leave the house, therefore potentially leaving the victim jobless and without finical stability. It can also lead to the victim being prescribed anti-anxiety medication to help them function normally. Anxiety can make a person become withdrawn as well which can be even more dangerous is they have not escaped from the abuser as they will be more reliant on them to complete essential tasks. Another long-term effect that physical abuse could result in is relationship complications, as a result of their trust being misused they may find it harder to trust people’s intentions and always be very guarded as a way of protecting themselves so the abusive situation cannot reoccur. This can cause difficulties for the new partner as they may not understands the victim’s behavior and assume that they don’t like him or her.

Financial

Financial abuse is when somebody fraudulently uses or steals another person’s money or assets. It can be indicated by missing processions, unexplained expenses or debt and family showing unusual interest in assets.

Short term effects

A short-term effect of financial abuse could be stress. This can affect them in a variety of different ways depending on who the perpetrator is. For example, if the abuser is a member of family they may be in two minds in what to do. On one hand they may want to report it because it’s putting them at a loss however on the other hand they may not want to do anything as they have the emotional attachment to the family member.

Another effect could be fear they might be scared of the abuser and therefore not act which could leave them extremely vulnerable and open to more types of abuse. The fear could also manifest itself over more serious issues such as anxiety and depression.

Long term effects

A long-term effect of financial abuse could be debt, if a significant amount of money is taken it may leave the victim without sufficient means to live, this could mean they have restricted access to basic necessities such as food and water. They may end up taking out credit cards and loans as a means to survive. However, they will probably not be able to pay them off especially is they still haven’t reported the abuse, meaning they could end up homeless or bankrupt. This would affect all aspects of their health potentially leaving them malnourished and depressed.

Neglect

Neglect is failing to care for someone sufficiently and meeting their needs. Signs of this can include an unhygienic environment, bedsores, ulcers and malnutrition.

Short term effects

A short-term effect of neglect could be embarrassment especially if the victim is left in defecated underwear, they could avoid seeing family and friends for fear of being judged especially if they are unable to clean themselves up independently. It could also lead to bullying because peers or other residents could humiliate them because of their incontinence. Another potential effect is bed sores. These can be uncomfortable and also lead to infections and more serious complications depending how long they are left. These are caused when a person does not move for a certain period of time. For people who are bedbound carers should adjust their positioning regularly to prevent this. However, if they are being negligent they might fail to do this causing a lot of problems for the victim.

Long term effects

A long-term effect of negligence could be an unnecessary deterioration in the victim’s physical health as if they are left unhygienic conditions it makes them more susceptible to infections which could have severe consequences such as limb loss or death. Another possible effect is low self-esteem as obviously they can be left in embarrassing situations which may make them blame themselves and feel hatred towards themselves for being incapable of helping themselves. Their low self- esteem could also make them feel worthless which may result in them not making a complaint or telling anyone as they don’t believe they deserve better.

Emotional

Emotional abuse is purposely saying or doing something to make someone feel worthless. This can be done in many ways including humiliation, verbal attacks and intimidation. Signs of this abuse can include silence around a particular person, weight fluctuation, distress and withdrawal.

Short term effects

One effect could be self- hatred, typically in emotional abuse the perpetrator makes the victim feel negative feelings towards themselves and reinforces how horrible they are. If this abuse is persistent these thoughts may become so embedded into the victim’s head that they believe them. They may even end up thinking that they deserve to be treated this way so may not seek help, which in turn continues the cycle. Another short- term effect could be losing their sense of identity. They may become so indoctrinated by the attacker that they forget who they are as a person, this could mean that they lose all sense of enjoyment in things they usually like because they are so accustomed to behave in a certain way. This could even lead to Stockholm syndrome if they abuse is not ceased.

Long term effects

A very prevalent long-term effect of emotional abuse is various mental health issues, ranging from depression to suicidal ideation. This is mainly due to the person feeling so little and awful because of what they’ve been told that they lose all sense of self-worth and the ability to rationalize. These mental health conditions can vary in severity. Some may be treatable with therapy, others may result in the victim needing to be on lifelong medication or having to undergo psychiatric intervention.

Sexual abuse

Sexual abuse can be split into two categories: contact and non- contact. Contact involves the abuser physically touching the victim this would include rape and sexual touching. Non- contact abuse means the abuser doesn’t actually make contact with the victim but still exposes them to things such as forcing the victim to watch them masturbate or grooming. Signs of sexual abuse can be stained underwear, difficulty walking, genital pain and unexplained pregnancy or STIs.

Short term effects

A short-term effect could be minimalization, this is when a victim plays down what was done to them. They act like it was minor or wasn’t a big deal however it clearly was. This could leave them vulnerable to future abuse as they are not willing to accept the severity of what happened to them. Another effect could be denial, they may tell you that nothing happened to them even when it did. They may do this for two reasons; one they do not want to accept what has happened to them so they may think that if they deny it, it makes it less realistic and more bearable. On the other hand, they may deny it out of fear, the attacker could’ve threatened the victim so they may think they need to protect themselves and family by saying anything.

Long term effects

A long-term effect could be post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), this is a mental health condition that can occur after a traumatic event it can cause flashbacks and nightmares and effects a suffers everyday life significantly. It is a lifelong condition but the effects can be reduced with therapy and medication.

Another long-term effect of sexual abuse could be poor physical heath especially where contact abuse has occurred. Because of the violence of the attacks it can cause incontinence, frequent UTIs and even permanent damage to the genitals.

Institutional

Institutional abuse is the mistreatment of a service user from a system of power. Indicators of this include distress, malnutrition, inadequate support and missing documents. Short term effects A short-term effect of institutional abuse is pressure sores this is caused when somebody with poor physical movement is not moved out of the same position for a prolonged period of time. These can be very painful and cause infections.

Another possible effect is incontinence if a carer is not looking after a service user they may not be able to make it to the toilet when they need to resulting in them defecating. This can be very embarrassing for the victim and it takes away their dignity. Long term effects A long-term effect of institutional abuse is worsened physical health. An example of this is if the victim develops bedsores and they are left untreated they can become infected and potentially develop sepsis which can result in loss of limb or in worse case scenarios can cause death. This can also continue the cycle as if their physical condition worsens because of the neglect they will need a higher level of support which may not be provided either.

Another effect of this abuse could be trust issues. This can cause problems for both the victim and also organizations like social services if they are trying to help. As a result of their treatment they may not trust any professional anymore which means they don’t vocalize what’s happening to them or their needs. For example, if a service user has suffered institutional abuse they may stop talking to anyone as they don’t think anything will be done so if they are feeling ill they may just keep quiet meaning they can’t receive treatment. Furthermore, if social services are investigating the abuse the victim may not want to engage with them as they have lost faith in all institutions meaning the abusers can’t be punished.

Discriminatory

Discriminatory abuse is the unfair treatment of people with different characteristics from yourself. Signs of this include fear, isolation and anger.

Short term effects

A short- term effect of discrimination is insecurity. If a person is being singled out because a particular characteristic that they possess it can make them feel very insecure and self- conscious especially as most discrimination is based of off something the victim cannot change. In the equality act (2010) the nine protected characteristics include disability, race and age. These cannot be changed they are how a person is born so the insecurity could be heightened as they are powerless to change this.

Long term effects A long-term effect of this abuse could be loss of identity. For instance, if someone is being discriminated based on their race they may stop doing things that are associated with their race such as black people cooking as they don’t want to be stereotyped or excluded even more. This could affect their family lives as well because they may stop doing traditional things for fear of being judged on it. Losing sight of their identity could also make them doubt themselves and lead to severe mental health issues. Self- harm Self- harm is deliberate injury to yourself. Signs and symptoms of self-harm include cuts, bruises, burns, scratches, missing hair, ligature marks, substance abuse, restricted food or drink intake, insertion of objects into the body, swallowing toxic objects or substances.

Short term effects

A short-term effect of self- harm could be bald patches in the victim’s hair or eyebrows. If a person wants to harm themselves they may pull their hair out this is also known as dermotillomania. It will leave bald patches in the persons hair or eyebrows whilst the hair grows back. This can make the person very self- conscious and continue the cycle as they may become distressed at the thought of being judged over it. Even though this is not a life-threatening form of self-harm it is still important the victim gets treatment for it as it can escalate into other forms of self-injury and in severe cases causes permanent baldness. Another effect of self-harm is poor self-image. When a person harms themselves it often leaves a mark this may make the victim self-conscious. It can make them hate their body and feel ashamed of themselves, especially because there is a lot of stigma around the issue. This can make them reluctant to talk to anybody which prolongs the victim getting help.

Long term effects

A long-term effect could be nerve damage. If somebody cuts themselves for a prolonged period of time or severely it can cause permanent nerve damage. This can affect their fine motor skills if it is to the nerves on their arms. They may lose feeling and therefore find it more difficult to write, draw or co-ordinate themselves. It can also put them at a higher risk of unintentional injuries such as burns as they may not be able to detect the temperature of things. This is a life long side effect and can be a reminder of the abuse they used to endure which can make it harder to deal with. Another effect could be mental health issues. Self-harm could be the sign of worsen mental state and could lead to illnesses such as depression or borderline personality disorder. Also, because self-harm is usually a coping mechanism they may not want to discuss it for fear they may be stopped and things inside their head will worsen. As it is commonly a private thing it may be very difficult to detect so therefore early intervention is difficult. Untreated self-harm can lead to admissions into psychiatric hospitals, suicide attempts and in extreme cases death.

Bullying

Bullying is intentionally harming or insulting someone else. Indicators of bullying could include missing belongings, injuries and asking for money.

Short term effects

A short-term effect of bullying could be isolation the victim may lock themselves away to avoid ridicule and conflict, this may mean that they also miss meals and neglect their personal hygiene especially if their carer is the perpetrator as they may be too afraid to ask them for something so therefore they shut themselves out from everyone including family and friends especially if the bully has threatened them if they tell anyone. Another one could be poor sleep this could be because the fear is consuming them and they are in a constant state of panic so they may not be able to relax, if it is also causing nightmares their sleep may be interrupted a lot this can affect both mental and physical health. The results of their lack of sleeps may come across as irritability or anger as they haven’t had sufficient rest.

Long term effects

A long-term problem may be suicidal thought. If they feel trapped and cannot see a way to escape the abuser they may consider suicide as a means to end the pain. They could attempt suicide by overdosing which can be fatal or cause permanent damage to vital organs such as kidneys and liver. If they survive the attempt they may need higher levels of care and may be required to take medication as a consequence of the damage. These thoughts can also lead to self-harm and effect family dynamics as they may close themselves off from loved ones thinking that they would be better without them. If the bully is being emotionally abusive they may tell the victim that nobody cares about them and because the victim is vulnerable they may believe this and not try to seek reassurance that this isn’t the case. It could also cause depression so they may struggle to complete normal daily tasks such as getting out of bed which would further seclude the victim because they won’t be socializing. They may also fail to take part in things they like doing which could mean they lose the positive things in their life or the respite they had from the abuser heightening the depression.

Domestic

Domestic abuse is intimidating, violent or aggressive behavior within the home or behind closed doors. Signs of this could be blaming themselves, poor self-esteem, never spending time away from their partner and changes in their behavior. Short term effects A short-term effect of domestic abuse could be pain this would be causes by the injuries that the victim has caused for example if the abuser is constantly punching them in their face it may be painful to talk, eat or yawn. They may need medical advice or treatment however, typically abusers don’t let their victims be seen by anyone in a professional capacity as they don’t want suspicion to arise or potentially give the victim a chance to escape.

Long term effects

It could cause fertility issues if the victim is female and is constantly beaten in the stomach it could cause internal damage to her womb which could make it harder for them to conceive or carry a baby. This can make it very difficult for the victim to move on with their lives as once they have escaped the abuse they may want to have a child but if they struggle as a result of the abuser’s behavior it will serve as a constant reminder. It can also cause mental health issues as if a woman conceives but loses the baby due to womb damage it will affect them greatly and could cause depression because they may not be able to deal with the grief.