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Abuse

There are many kinds of abase, this section provides information on child abuse, elder abuse and spousal abuse. To view the information on abuse please click on the links below.

Elder Abuse - Child Abuse - Spousal Abuse

Physical Abuse
Financial Abuse
Neglect
Self-Neglect
Psychological/Emotional Abuse
Abandonment
Is abuse of elderly adults a crime in Canada?

Physical Abuse
Any physical pain or injury which is willfully inflicted upon an elder by a person who has care or custody of, or who stands in a position of trust with that elder, constitutes physical abuse. This includes, but is not limited to, direct beatings, sexual assault, unreasonable physical restraint, and prolonged deprivation of food or water.

Financial Abuse
Any theft or misuse of an elder's money or property, by a person in a position of trust with an elder, constitutes financial abuse.

Neglect
The failure of any person having the care or custody of an elder to provide that degree of care which a reasonable person in a like position would provide constitutes neglect. This includes, but is not limited to:

Failure to assist in personal hygiene or the provision of clothing for an elder.
Failure to provide medical care for the physical and mental health needs of an elder. This does not include instances in which an elder refuses treatment.
Failure to protect an elder from health and safety hazards.

Self-Neglect
Failure to provide for self through inattention or dissipation. The identification of this type of case depends on assessing the elder's ability to choose a life-style versus a recent change in the elder's ability to manage.

Psychological/Emotional Abuse
The willful infliction of mental suffering, by a person in a position of trust with an elder, constitutes psychological/emotional abuses. Examples of such abuse are: verbal assaults, threats, instilling fear, humiliation, intimidation, or isolation of an elder.

Abandonment
Abandonment constitutes the desertion or willful forsaking of an elder by any person having the care and custody of that elder, under circumstances in which a reasonable person would continue to provide care of custody.

Is abuse of elderly adults a crime in Canada?
Abuse of elderly adults is not specifically identified as a crime. The abuse may be a combination of different behaviours by the caregiver. Some of these behaviours may also be crimes. If the abuser has broken the law he or she may be charged with a criminal offence.
There is an excellent site of Elder Abuse Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - (funded by the Federal Department of Justice) here:
http://www.law-faqs.org/topics