Any form of maltreatment. Someone may carry out abuse through neglect, by inflicting harm, or by failing to prevent harm. People, particularly children, may be abused within a family, or in an institutional or community setting, by those known to them or, more rarely, by others. Abuse can take place online, or technology may be used to facilitate offline abuse. Children may be abused by an adult or adults, or by another child or children. Abuse may be:
An act, or a pattern of acts, which may include physical assault, threats, humiliation and intimidation used to harm, punish, or frighten someone or to persuade or pressure them to do something (e.g. take part in criminal activity). An adult may not be aware they are being coerced. Controlling or coercive behaviour in an intimate or family relationship became a crime in March 2015. Children may themselves be coerced, or may be used as ‘tools’ to coerce or control a parent or carer.
Permission or agreement given by one person to another. If two people intend to engage in a sexual act, consent must be established clearly beforehand to ensure both parties are aware, comfortable and in agreement. If consent is not established, any sexual acts which follow may not be recognised as lawful.
In the UK, the age of consent (the age at which people can legally engage in sexual activity) is 16 years old, regardless of a person's gender identity, sexual identity, and whether the sexual activity is between people of the same or different gender. Someone under the age of 13 cannot legally give their consent. The law gives extra protection to young people who are over the age of consent but under 18, for example it is illegal for person in a position of trust (e.g. teacher or care worker) to engage in sexual activity with anyone under the age of 18 who is in the care of their organisation.
Acts intended to make a person subordinate and/or dependent on another by isolating them from family, friends and sources of support, exploiting their resources and capacities for gain, depriving them of their independence or means to escape a situation, or regulating their everyday behaviour.
Any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive, threatening behaviour, violence, or abuse between those aged 16 or over who are, or have been, intimate partners or family members, regardless of gender or sexuality.
Any actual or attempted abuse of a victim’s vulnerability, differential power, or trust, that enables the abuser to profit monetarily, socially, sexually or politically. Forms of exploitation include human trafficking and modern slavery (see below). Criminal exploitation is where an individual or group take advantage of an imbalance of power to coerce, control, manipulate or deceive an adult into any criminal activity. Child criminal exploitation is where someone under the age of 18 is similarly coerced, controlled, manipulated or deceived into engaging in criminal activity (e.g. in exchange for something the victim needs or wants, or through violence or the threat of violence). A young person may have been criminally exploited even if the activity appears consensual. Child criminal exploitation does not always involve physical contact - it can also occur remotely through the use of technology.
A highly effective form of emotional abuse in which the perpetrator uses psychological manipulation to make their victim (often a partner or family member) doubt their own perceptions, memory, judgement and sanity. It is used to gain power and can amount to coercive and controlling behaviour.
Behaviours used by an abuser to prepare a child or adult at risk, and the circumstances, for abuse or exploitation. It can happen face-to-face or online; in private or within an organisation or public spaces; and be done by a stranger, or by someone the intended victim knows (e.g. a family member, friend, associate or professional). Grooming relies on trust, secrecy, and authority and is more common in situations where there is an imbalance of power (e.g. done by someone older, physically stronger, or in a position of authority, such as a professional or person prominent in a group or community). Children, adults at risk and others may be entirely unaware that it is happening.
Psychological or physical hurt, or any other infringement of an individual’s rights.
Manipulating or controlling a person’s movements and restricting their freedoms for personal or commercial gain e.g. forced prostitution, criminality, forced marriage, organ harvesting.
Exploitation of others for personal or commercial gain e.g. forced labour, debt bondage/bonded labour (i.e. being forced to borrow money then work to pay off a debt which, in fact, can never be paid).
An adult at risk is defined as someone over the age of 18 who has needs for care and support (whether or not these are being met by a local authority), who is experiencing or is at risk of experiencing abuse or neglect, and who – as a result of their needs – is unable to protect themselves against abuse, neglect or exploitation. Their ability to protect themself may be significantly impaired through old age, physical or mental disability or illness, or emotional fragility or distress (whether these are temporary or permanent).
Usually characterised as a long-term pattern of unwanted and persistent pursuit and intrusive behaviour directed by one person at another, which instils fear and causes distress. Stalking includes repeated attempts to impose unwanted communications and/or contacts on another in a manner which could be expected to cause distress and/or fear in any reasonable person.
