Abuse can take the form of:
- Bullying
- Physical abuse
- Emotional abuse
- Sexual abuse
Note that the above serve as examples only. If you suspect someone is being abused you do not need to categorise. You need only to take appropriate action. Leave the rest to the organisers and/or members of the Health and Safety team, who have the specific responsibility of dealing with such incidents.
Bullying
Bullying is defined as deliberate repeated negative actions or behaviour towards an individual.
Examples include:
- Name calling or teasing
- Boasting about money or possessions
- Forcing people to do demeaning things
- Deliberately ignoring particular people
Bullying often describes a form of harassment by an abuser who is in a physically or socially superior position to the individual being abused. If bullying is allowed to continue, even briefly, it may become difficult to stop. To an outsider, bullying may often be invisible or resemble an act of normal play.
Bullying, as innocent it may seem, can have a very negative psychological impact on the victim and, therefore, it is very important to take necessary action to stop it. Better is to prevent abuse entirely by creating a friendly atmosphere that will benefit to empathy with others.
Physical and emotional abuse
Physical abuse means deliberately causing physical injury or harm to another individual. It also results from failure to take action to prevent physical abuse of which you are aware. Anyone who witnesses physical abuse is required to take action, as well as to report it to the Health and Safety Team.
Examples include hitting, shaking, pushing, pinching, burning or biting, giving another person poisonous substances, drugs or alcohol.
Emotional abuse occurs when someone intentionally harms another person’s emotional state and damages his or her self-esteem through actions, words, or behaviour. Emotional abuse usually occurs when one person wants to exert power and control over another person. This can affect people of any age or gender. Examples of actions that can lead to emotional abuse are sustained intimidation, teasing, or intense criticism.
Sexual abuse
Sexual abuse occurs when an individual is involved in sexual activity in which they does not wish to engage. Sexual abuse can be emotional as well as physical. Emotional sexual abuse can take the form of jokes, inappropriate comments on gender roles or sexual activities, sexual harassment, or intimidation.
Physical sexual abuse occurs when an individual forces another individual to engage in sexual activity against his or her will. Anyone witnessing sexual abuse or harassment is required to report it to your Head of Continuent and/or Health and Safety Team and offer mental support Rape is a serious criminal offence according to law and will be reported to the police without exception.