Where does abuse happen?

Abuse is any intentional harm or maltreatment of a person. Physical, sexual, emotional, medical abuse, and neglectful abuse can occur in any environment, at any time. People of any age can be abused. Research has shown that abuse can have a lasting impact on mental and physical health.

Some of the issues that may arise out of experiencing abuse are:

• Relationship and trust issues
• Feelings of worthlessness that can contribute to depression and other mental health challenges
• Difficulty regulating emotions
• Risk of substance abuse

Abuse can happen anywhere. Within the home, school, community centers, a friend’s house, public, and any other place. One of the most common myths about abuse is that it only occurs in “bad” settings or doesn’t happen in “good” families. Abuse isn’t limited to happening only in certain types of families or certain kinds of neighborhoods.

While popular television stories and media may focus on abuse that strangers commit, most abusers are family members or close to and trusted by a family. Stranger abuse does occur, but less often.

Some indications of abuse can include:

• Withdrawal from normal activities
• Withdrawal from social activities
• Feelings of depression, anxiety
• Loss of self-confidence
• Attempts at running away in children
• Defiant behavior in children
• Self-harm or suicide attempts
• Absences from school in children
• Unexplained injuries
• Sexual behavior inappropriate to the age
• Avoidance of some environments or situations
• Low self-esteem
• Decrease in school performance in children
• Poor hygiene
• Poor growth or weight issues in children

If you have been experiencing any suicidal thoughts, reach out for help immediately. You can reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

If you have concerns about your child or another child that may have been abused, reach out to your appropriate local authorities immediately. Contacting the child’s doctor, the police department, or the National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4453 are all ways that you can help. Healthcare professionals are legally required to report suspected abuse to appropriate authorities.

If you’re an adult survivor of child abuse or negligence, talking with a therapist can help. Working with someone trained in trauma treatment can help you process past abuse, identify ways to impact your behavior in the present, and identify coping skills and ways to improve areas you may experience challenges in.