Although there is no legal definition of abuse, it is commonly defined as any intentional action that harms or injures another person. In other words, someone who purposely harms another person is guilty of abuse. There are many kinds of abuse, and these are normally defined by the type of harm and the type of victim.
Slater and Gordon’s team of dedicated Abuse Claim Lawyers are familiar with all type of abuse cases. We offer expert legal advice for abuse compensation cases.
Types of abuse
Institutional abuse
Institutional abuse is the maltreatment of people in their care, within a system of power. Examples of institutional abuse settings include children within state care, a school environment, or home care environment (such as a foster home), or aged persons within a nursing and/or aged care environment. This type of abuse can include neglect, sexual abuse, or physical abuse such as using harsh methods to modify or control behaviour.
Elder abuse
The definition of elder abuse includes both the lack of appropriate action, as well as a single or repeated action that occurs within a relationship where there is an expectation of trust—whether that action is physical, chemical, emotional, sexual or financial. It can also include intentional or unintentional behaviour.
Sexual abuse
Also referred to as molestation, sexual abuse is normally considered to be undesired sexual behaviour from one person toward another. Usually this involves force or taking advantage of a position of power to coerce the other person using intimidation. When the force is short and fast (lasting a short time) if it often referred to as sexual assault. Victims of sexual abuse can suffer physical and psychological damage, and this impact can last for many years.
Financial abuse
This form of abuse occurs when one person has control over the economic resources of another person which then forces that person to rely of the abuser for support. Financial abuse includes the illegal use of a person’s money, property, and possessions. Changing someone's will to include the abuser as a beneficiary and/or evicting the victim from their own home are also forms of financial abuse.
Financial abuse sometimes occurs between spouses/partners, or between a guardian and a dependent. This form of abuse is often accompanied by domestic violence and can be particularly destructive.
Financial abuse of the aged is often referred to as Elder Abuse.
What to do if you, or a loved one, have experienced abuse
If you are a victim of abuse and have already made the courageous choice to report your incident, you may wish to consider your options to be compensated for the pain, suffering, and psychological impact.
Our experts at Slater and Gordon have many years of experience assisting people impacted by abuse. We understand the need to manage your claim with sensitivity and with minimal impact on you, and we also have a free social work service to assist you in dealing with this life-changing event. Get in touch with our dedicated team today.