What is Abuse?
Sometimes adults and older youth can do things that you don’t want them to do to you. They know that this is wrong which is why they tell you to keep it a ‘secret. If someone is doing any of the following to you then you should tell an adult that you trust what is happening to you. There are different people that you can talk to such as your parents, teacher, school guidance counsellor or any other adult that you have a good relationship with that you trust.
If you don’t feel ready to talk but you want what is happening to you to stop then you could always write a letter and pass it to someone that you trust to read.
Sexual Abuse
Sexual Abuse is when an older youth or adult:
- Makes you touch them in their private places on their body or they are touching your private places, whether wearing clothes or not
- Intentionally engages in sexual activity in front of others and/or not taking precautions to prevent exposure to sexual activity by others
- Encourages you to take part in any sexual activity
- Shows you images of others involved in sexual activity
Sexual abuse can happen to both girls and boys of any age.
Most sexual abusers know the child they abuse-they may be family, friends, neighbors or babysitters.
Physical Abuse
Physical abuse is anything one person does to another that intentionally causes physical pain.
This includes slapping, pinching, punching, pushing, throwing objects at another person, assaulting someone with an object or anything that brings about physical pain or discomfort to another. Physical abuse can result in bruises, black eyes, knocked out teeth, broken bones, internal organ injuries, miscarriage, brain concussions, and even death.
Emotional Abuse
Emotional abuse includes psychological abuse or psychological maltreatment and is a pattern of behaviour that makes someone feel worthless, flawed, unloved, or endangered. Like other forms of abuse, emotional abuse is based on power and control. Emotional abuse does not leave physical marks but is just as harmful as physical abuse.
- Rejecting: refusing to acknowledge a person's presence, value or worth
- Isolating: placing restrictions on contact with others; refusing access to money
- Denying emotional responsiveness: being detached and uninvolved; interacting only when necessary; ignoring a person's mental health needs; denying affection such as a hug
- Terrorizing: placing a person in dangerous situations; threatening to hurt a person or his/her loved ones; setting rigid or unreasonable expectations
- Neglect: not providing for a person’s physical, mental, emotional and other needs, including medical/health care, education, shelter, food and a clean, comfortable and safe home.
Neglect and Maltreatment
Neglect is the failure of a parent, guardian, or other caregiver to provide for a child’s basic needs. Neglect may be:
- Physical (e.g., failure to provide necessary food, shelter, or lack of appropriate supervision)
- Medical (e.g., failure to provide necessary medical or mental health treatment)
- Educational (e.g., failure to educate a child or attend to special education needs)
- Emotional (e.g., inattention to a child’s emotional needs, failure to provide psychological care, or permitting the child to use alcohol or other drugs or if the caregiver is abusing drugs and / or alcohol )
