Abuse, neglect and exploitation can take many forms, it may not always be obvious and can sometimes be complex. You may not see it taking place, but you may notice signs or have a feeling that something isn’t right.
Legal Definitions
- Adult at Risk: An individual experiencing, or at risk of, abuse or neglect, who requires care and support and is unable to protect themselves as a result.
- Child at Risk: A child who is experiencing, or is at risk of, abuse, neglect, or other forms of harm, and who has care and support needs.
- Abuse: Includes physical, sexual, emotional, psychological, or financial mistreatment in any setting, whether in a private home, institution, or elsewhere.
- Neglect: A failure to meet an individual’s essential physical, emotional, social, or psychological needs, likely to impair their well-being or development.
It is important to note that the term ‘at risk’ means that actual abuse or neglect does NOT need to occur, rather early interventions to protect the child or adult at risk should be considered to prevent actual harm, abuse and neglect.
The following is a non-exhaustive list of examples for each of the categories of abuse and neglect:
Categories of Abuse
- Physical Abuse: Encompasses hitting, slapping, misuse of medication, inappropriate restraint, fabricated illness, or unlawful sanctions. Physical punishment of children is now illegal in Wales.
- Sexual Abuse: Involves non-consensual sexual acts, coercion, or manipulation. Includes physical and non-physical acts such as online exploitation.
- Emotional or Psychological Abuse: Covers threats, coercive control, humiliation, verbal or racial abuse, isolation, or cutting off access to supportive networks.
- Neglect: Examples include failure to provide essential care such as medical treatment, food, shelter, hygiene, or emotional support.
- Financial Abuse: Includes theft, fraud, undue pressure concerning wills or property, and misappropriation of money or possessions—primarily affecting adults at risk but can also impact children.
Key Safeguarding Concerns
- Child Sexual Abuse (CSA): Engaging or forcing children into sexual activity and/or communication, either through physical contact or virtually, online and via apps or other technology, often under manipulation or deceit.
- Domestic Abuse & VAWDASV: Abuse by someone known to the victim, including emotional, sexual, financial, physical abuse and coercive and controlling behaviour. Witnessing such abuse is also considered harmful to children.
- Self-Harm and Suicide: Defined as intentional self-injury or poisoning, regardless of motive. A significant cause of hospital admissions and deaths among young people.
Forms of Exploitation
- Online Grooming: Abusers exploit digital platforms to build trust with and manipulate children, often disguised as peers or trusted adults.
- Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE): Coercing young people into sexual acts for gain—may appear consensual but is based on manipulation and imbalance of power.
- Missing Persons: Individuals, especially children, whose whereabouts are unknown may be at risk of harm, exploitation, or criminal involvement.
- Serious Youth Violence: Involves severe violent offences involving young people (aged 1–19), often linked to gangs, sexual violence, or weapon-related crime.
- Criminal Exploitation: The manipulation or coercion of individuals, especially children or vulnerable adults, into criminal activities such as drug trafficking.
- County Lines & Organised Crime: Gangs and networks exploiting people to distribute drugs between areas using coercion, threats, and violence.
- Cuckooing: Criminals taking over a vulnerable person’s home to use as a base for illegal activities, often linked with county lines and exploitation.
- Modern Slavery & Human Trafficking: Involves coercion into sexual exploitation, forced labour, domestic servitude, or organ trafficking. Victims may not recognise their exploitation.
Culturally Harmful Practices
- ‘Honour’-Based Abuse: Violence committed to protect the honour of a family or community, potentially involving emotional abuse or murder.
- Forced Marriage: A marriage entered into without full consent, considered a form of abuse. It can affect both males and females.
- Female Genital Mutilation (FGM): A harmful, illegal practice involving the partial or total removal of external female genitalia, often causing lifelong physical and psychological harm.
Extremism and Radicalisation
- Extremism: Active or vocal opposition to British values including democracy, rule of law, and mutual respect; may involve inciting violence or hatred.
- Radicalisation: The process by which individuals come to support extremist ideologies, potentially leading to terrorism.