Legal Definitions - abuse

In legal terms, abuse refers to two primary categories:

• The improper or harmful treatment of a person or animal: This encompasses actions that intentionally cause physical, emotional, or psychological harm, or severe neglect that leads to such harm. It can manifest in various forms, including physical violence, emotional manipulation, or a consistent failure to provide basic necessities.
• The misuse or excessive use of a right, privilege, resource, or legal process: This occurs when something is employed in a way that deviates from its intended purpose, exceeds reasonable limits, or is done with malicious intent, often to gain an unfair advantage or cause harm.

Here are some examples illustrating different contexts of abuse:

• Example 1: Financial Abuse of an Elderly Person

  Imagine an adult child who has power of attorney over their elderly parent's finances. Instead of using the funds for the parent's care and living expenses, the child regularly transfers large sums of money into their own personal accounts, leaving the parent unable to pay for necessary medical treatments or housing.

  This illustrates abuse because it involves the misuse of a legal privilege (power of attorney) and a resource (the parent's finances) for personal gain, causing significant harm and deprivation to the vulnerable parent.

• Example 2: Workplace Harassment as Emotional Abuse

  Consider a manager who constantly belittles an employee in front of colleagues, assigns them impossible tasks with unrealistic deadlines, and spreads false rumors about their performance. This behavior is not physically violent but creates a hostile work environment, causing severe stress, anxiety, and damage to the employee's mental well-being and professional reputation.

  This demonstrates abuse because it involves the intentional infliction of emotional and psychological distress through non-physical acts, creating a harmful environment and undermining the employee's stability.

• Example 3: Substance Abuse

  A person begins taking a prescribed medication for a legitimate medical condition but gradually increases the dosage far beyond what was recommended by their doctor, consuming the entire month's supply in a week. This excessive use leads to severe health complications, impaired judgment, and an inability to maintain employment or personal relationships.

  This is an example of substance abuse, as it involves the excessive and improper use of a substance (medication) beyond its intended medical purpose, resulting in significant personal harm and functional impairment.