Legal Definitions - abusee

An abusee refers to an individual who has experienced harm, mistreatment, or exploitation, either currently or in the past. This harm can manifest in various forms, including physical, emotional, sexual, financial, or neglect.

• A social worker investigates a report concerning a seven-year-old child who frequently arrives at school with unexplained bruises and appears withdrawn. The child's teachers have also noticed a significant decline in their academic performance and emotional well-being. In this scenario, the child is considered an abusee because they are experiencing physical and emotional harm, indicating they are currently being abused.

• After years of enduring controlling behavior, verbal insults, and occasional physical altercations from her partner, a woman finally seeks help from a domestic violence shelter. She describes how her partner isolated her from friends and family and controlled her finances. Here, the woman is an abusee, having experienced a pattern of emotional, psychological, and physical abuse over an extended period.

• An elderly widower, living alone, discovers that a distant relative has been systematically draining his bank accounts and pressuring him to sign over property deeds. The relative had also been neglecting his medical needs, leading to a decline in his health. The widower, having been subjected to financial exploitation and neglect, is an abusee in this situation.