The following are examples of abuse and neglect:
- Physical abuse - any form of assault, over-medication, restraint or poor manual handling practice.
- Sexual abuse - rape or any sexual act which was not actively consented to, or the person did not have the capacity to understand.
- Psychological/emotional abuse - threats, intimidation, coercion, harassment or bullying.
- Financial abuse - theft, borrowing money without repayment and any pressure in connection with wills or property, possessions or benefits.
- Discriminatory abuse - all forms of harassment, slurs or similar treatment based on a person's disability, ethnic origin, gender or sexuality. This is often called hate crime.
- Domestic abuse - an incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive, threatening, degrading and violent behaviour, including sexual violence, in the majority of cases by a partner or ex-partner, but also by a family member or carer.
- Organisational abuse - including neglect and poor care practice within an institution or specific care setting such as a hospital or care home, or where care is provided within their own home.
- Modern slavery - slavery, human trafficking, forced labour and domestic servitude.
- Neglect - ignoring medical or physical needs, not providing access to appropriate care, the withholding of the necessities of life, such as medication, adequate food, water and heating.
- Self-neglect - this covers a wide range of behaviour such as neglecting to care for personal hygiene, health or surroundings and includes behaviour like hoarding which puts the person, or others, at risk.