LO2: Understand factors which may lead to abusive situations
Adults, young people and children most at risk from abuse
Some individuals may be more vulnerable to abuse due to their needs. Individuals most at risk
from abuse include those who:
● Have physical disabilities
○ They may have to depend on others and therefore may feel powerless to prevent
abuse from happening. They may feel that if they speak about the abuse, their
care will stop.
● Are looked-after children
○ Looked-after children are children who are looked after by or under the care of
the local authority. They may have had poor life experiences, may move in and
out of different settings and therefore are unlikely to form trusted relationships
with adults and are therefore less likely to report abuse
● Have a learning disability
○ They may not know or understand their rights or want to please others so are
less likely to report abuse. Depending on the extent of their condition, they may
not even comprehend that they are experiencing abuse.
● Have dementia
○ They may not realise abuse is happening, may have difficulty remembering and
communicating to others, and behaviours such as withdrawal may be mistaken
as a part of their dementia.
● Lack mental capacity
○ They may not be able to tell others what is happening and they may have to rely
on others to make decisions on their behalf.
● Have a sensory impairment
○ They may have limited experience of personal relationships and may depend on
others to meet their intimate care needs and are therefore less likely to report
abuse.
■ People who are hard of hearing may be unable to hear the verbal abuse
that they encounter and so are unable to report it
■ People with a sight impairment may be unable to identify the abuser so
would not be able to report the abuse.
Adults, young people and children most at risk from abuse
Some individuals may be more vulnerable to abuse due to their needs. Individuals most at risk
from abuse include those who:
● Have physical disabilities
○ They may have to depend on others and therefore may feel powerless to prevent
abuse from happening. They may feel that if they speak about the abuse, their
care will stop.
● Are looked-after children
○ Looked-after children are children who are looked after by or under the care of
the local authority. They may have had poor life experiences, may move in and
out of different settings and therefore are unlikely to form trusted relationships
with adults and are therefore less likely to report abuse
● Have a learning disability
○ They may not know or understand their rights or want to please others so are
less likely to report abuse. Depending on the extent of their condition, they may
not even comprehend that they are experiencing abuse.
● Have dementia
○ They may not realise abuse is happening, may have difficulty remembering and
communicating to others, and behaviours such as withdrawal may be mistaken
as a part of their dementia.
● Lack mental capacity
○ They may not be able to tell others what is happening and they may have to rely
on others to make decisions on their behalf.
● Have a sensory impairment
○ They may have limited experience of personal relationships and may depend on
others to meet their intimate care needs and are therefore less likely to report
abuse.
■ People who are hard of hearing may be unable to hear the verbal abuse
that they encounter and so are unable to report it
■ People with a sight impairment may be unable to identify the abuser so
would not be able to report the abuse.
