Psychological / emotional abuse

Psychological or emotional abuse is language or actions designed to intimidate another person and is usually characterised by a pattern of behaviour repeated over time, intended to maintain a ‘hold of fear’ over them. Forms of psychological abuse include: 

• intimidation, humiliation and harassment – e.g. threats, calling a resident names, treating a resident like a child, shouting at a resident; 
• withholding of affection; 
• refusing a resident access to family members or close friends; 
• depriving a resident of sleep; and
• inappropriate removal of a resident’s decision-making powers.