LO2; Understand factors which may lead to abusive situations

Question 1

LO2.1 - Adults, young people, and children most at risk from abuse

Why are some people more at risk of abuse?

Answer 1

LO2.1 - Adults, young people, and children most at risk from abuse

Some people are more at risk of abuse, as they don’t have the means (knowledge + power) to either, protect themselves or prevent it from happening in the first place
This makes them vulnerable to it

Question 2

LO2.1 - Adults, young people, and children most at risk from abuse

What does the term ‘Lacking in mental capacity’ mean?

Answer 2

LO2.1 - Adults, young people, and children most at risk from abuse

Individuals are unable to make their own decision about their care or treatment
This may be due to having a mental health condition or being unconscious to due an accident

Question 3

LO2.1 - Adults, young people, and children most at risk from abuse

What does the term ‘Looked after children’?

Answer 3

LO2.1 - Adults, young people, and children most at risk from abuse

These are children that are in the care of of the local authority

Question 4

LO2.1 - Adults, young people, and children most at risk from abuse

How are individuals with a learning disability most at risk from abuse?

Answer 4

LO2.1 - Adults, young people, and children most at risk from abuse

• May not know or understand their rights
• Or may want to please others

Question 5

LO2.1 - Adults, young people, and children most at risk from abuse

How are individuals with dementia most at risk from abuse?

Answer 5

LO2.1 - Adults, young people, and children most at risk from abuse

• May not recognise that abuse is happening
• May have difficulty remembering + communicating their needs to others
• Behaviours, e.g. withdrawn may be mistaken as part of their dementia

Question 6

LO2.1 - Adults, young people, and children most at risk from abuse

How are individuals who are lacking in mental capacity most at risk from abuse?

Answer 6

LO2.1 - Adults, young people, and children most at risk from abuse

• May not be able to tell others what’s happening
• May have to depend on others to make decisions on their behalf

Question 7

LO2.1 - Adults, young people, and children most at risk from abuse

How are individuals who have a sensory impairment most at risk from abuse?

Answer 7

LO2.1 - Adults, young people, and children most at risk from abuse

• May have limited experience of personal relationships
• May depend on others to meet their intimate care needs and are, therefore, less likely to report abuse

Question 8

LO2.1 - Adults, young people, and children most at risk from abuse

How are individuals who have a physical disability most at risk from abuse?

Answer 8

LO2.1 - Adults, young people, and children most at risk from abuse

• May have to depend on others
• Therefore, may feel powerless to prevent abuse from happening

Question 9

LO2.1 - Adults, young people, and children most at risk from abuse

How are looked after children most at risk from abuse?

Answer 9

LO2.1 - Adults, young people, and children most at risk from abuse

• May have had poor life experiences and may move in and out of different settings
• May be unlikely to form trusting relationships with adults and/or other children, and are, therefore, less likely to report abuse

Question 10

LO2 - Factors that lead to abusive situations; Past Exam Questions

Define the term ‘lacking mental capacity’
[2]

Answer 10

LO2.1 - Adults, young people, and children most at risk from abuse

Individuals are unable to make their own decisions about their care or treatment. This may be due to having a mental health condition, or being unconscious due to an accident

Question 11

LO2 - Factors that lead to abusive situations; Past Exam Questions

Explain how each of the following environmental factors can make abuse more likely

Care services with institutional practices

Homelessness

Adults with dementia in a nursing home

Answer 11

LO2 - Factors that lead to abusive situations; Past Exam Questions

Care services with institutional practices:

• a culture of turning a blind eye/covering it up
• mistrust
• stereotyping/discrimination
• canteen culture
• similarity of care systems causing distress to those in + out of care
• labelling

Homelessness;

• lack of access to support/protection services
• no fixed location (difficult to track)
• reasons for homelessness e.g. abuse in the past
• self-fulfilling prophecy
• lack of affordable housing
• limited support services/funding
• the risk of harm from others, e.g. especially at night
• stereotyping by public

Adults with dementia in a nursing home;

• lack of control over own choices
• disempowerment
• memory impairments
• dependency on others
• isolation
• less aware of being abused

Question 12

LO2.1 - Adults, young people, and children most at risk from abuse

What are some additional factors that can make abuse more likely?

Answer 12

LO2.1 - Adults, young people, and children most at risk from abuse

Additional factors:

• situations where there’s an invasion of privacy
• relationships where there’s an imbalance of power
• situations where people are dependent on others
• social isolation
• staffing issues

Question 13

LO2.1 - Adults, young people, and children most at risk from abuse

How do situations where there’s an invasion of privacy make abuse more likely?

Answer 13

LO2.1 - Adults, young people, and children most at risk from abuse

• dignity’s a big issue in health + social care and it’s important that an individual has adequate privacy. e.g. drawing curtains and closing doors when people are getting changed.
• failure to do this may result in an individual feeling embarrassed, exposed + vulnerable, making them targets for abuse

Question 14

LO2.1 - Adults, young people, and children most at risk from abuse

How do relationships where there’s an imbalance of power make abuse more likely?

Answer 14

LO2.1 - Adults, young people, and children most at risk from abuse

• in some relationships (can be between people/ individual + service provider) the balance of power’s unequal, meaning that one has more power/control than the other.
  E.g. child with severe physical + learning difficulties relies on their parents/carers to meet all of their needs, or an older person with mobility issues and/or dementia.
• if the caregiver isn’t given support, may lead to difficulties in meeting needs + frustrations, leading to abuse. The power and control a person holds over the other are not just physical, can be financial and emotional.
• if a person lacks power, may not be able to access the support they need because they’re afraid or don’t have access to the communication methods they needed for support
• carers/teachers have power over the people they’re responsible for + this may then be abused. Often a person in this situation is too scared to get help, so they’re unable to escape the situation

Question 15

LO2.1 - Adults, young people, and children most at risk from abuse

How do situations where people are dependent on others make abuse more likely?

Answer 15

LO2.1 - Adults, young people, and children most at risk from abuse

• caring for someone can cause stress + having someone who’s dependent on someone can be demanding. As a result of illness, disease, or disability, an individual can find themselves completely dependent on others for help with basic tasks
• informal carers may be too much to handle, especially if the person being cared for displays challenging behaviour, this may then lead to abuse. E.g. a mother caring for an autistic child who’s aggressive + violent towards her, and has begun to take her frustrations out on the child by calling them names and hitting them

Question 16

LO2.1 - Adults, young people, and children most at risk from abuse

How does social isolation make abuse more likely?

Answer 16

LO2.1 - Adults, young people, and children most at risk from abuse

• a person has limited connections within society who can offer social support and prevent loneliness.
• a number of reasons why a person may become socially isolated, e.g. mental health conditions, issues relating to older age, such as mobility issues and dementia.
• can also occur due to physical and learning difficulties. May find themselves a victim of abuse for various reasons as it may be that they’re not able to access formal/informal support.
• may have lost contact with people who are able to provide support + feel scared to speak out about their abusers in the fear of being further isolated.
• may also be targeted by abusers because they’re vulnerable as the abuser will know that they don’t have support.

Question 17

LO2.1 - Adults, young people, and children most at risk from abuse

How do staffing issues make abuse more likely?

Answer 17

LO2.1 - Adults, young people, and children most at risk from abuse

• It’s important that health + social care (includ. childcare settings) are adequately staffed + are trained to deal with all situations
• it’s important that there’s enough staff on shift to meet the needs of the individuals without it taking its toll on staff physically or emotionally.
• stress of inadequate staffing may result in abuse occurring if those providing care feel unable to cope. Could be, as a result of neglect, as they don’t have the time to meet the needs of all individuals
• training’s also crucial as they need to be aware of what abuse is + they’re clear of what constitutes abuse so that they don’t do it + also so they understand how it can be intentional/unintentional. Staff also need to know the signs + symptoms of abuse, so that they can follow procedures and report it.

Question 18

LO2 - Factors that lead to abusive situations; Past Exam Questions

Analyse how the following situations may make abuse more likely
- social isolation
- relationships where there’s an imbalance of power
[6]

Answer 18

LO2 - Factors that lead to abusive situations; Past Exam Questions

Social isolation:

• user will have lost contact with friends + family over time
• family + friends can’t help user if unaware of abuse
• user is at risk of being targeted by abusers, due to them being vulnerable + having no one to turn to
• may feel frightened to speak up as they may not be believed
• due to user being isolated, may not be aware of support services who could help

Relationships where there’s an imbalance of power:

• user may be scared to leave their partner
• may be unable to seek help, as communication is restricted, e.g phone’s taken away
• abuser may have control of their finances, so user is unable to travel
• have a fear of physical violence + threats made by their partner
• abuser may make user feel frightened to report any abuse + use emotional blackmail, e.g. saying they could get prosecuted
• this imbalance of power can relate to carers + teachers

Question 19

LO2 - Factors that lead to abusive situations; Past Exam Questions

Explain why adults who are deaf (a sensory impairment) are at risk of abuse

[5]

Answer 19

LO2 - Factors that lead to abusive situations; Past Exam Questions

Explanations why adults are at risk of abuse:

• may be dependent on others for communication needs/access to complaints/raising concerns
• lack of qualified staff/training in sign language; abuse not noticed/adult feels socially isolated
• imbalance of power; needs others to help meet needs/info not shared or explained
• invasion of privacy may not hear workers who are gossiping/disclosing personal info
• lack of resources to support needs (when using other services)
• not hearing dangers so more open to abuse/not hearing abuse
• face masks/PPE; barriers to communication

Question 20

LO2 - Factors that lead to abusive situations; Past Exam Questions

An individual who lacks in mental capacity is unable to make their own decisions

Describe at least two situations where an individual’s mental capacity may return

[6]

Answer 20

LO2 - Factors that lead to abusive situations; Past Exam Questions

Situations:

Recovery from an illness/accident or treatment(s):
> a person may have had a stroke + this impacted upon their mental capacity

> over time + rehabilitation, their mental capacity will improve + will be able to communicate their needs and wants more coherently

Recovery from a mental health problem:
>

Question 21

LO2.2 - Environmental factors that make abuse more likely

Why does abuse take place in care services with institutional practices?

Answer 21

LO2.2 - Environmental factors that make abuse more likely

• rigid routines, e.g. meal times
• invasive practices, e.g. dressing/bathing = privacy
  cannot always be respected

Question 22

LO2.2 - Environmental factors that make abuse more likely

Why does abuse take place in adult + child residential HSC settings?

Answer 22

LO2.2 - Environmental factors that make abuse more likely

• frightened to report abuse
• lose home = emotional blackmail

Question 23

LO2.2 - Environmental factors that make abuse more likely

Why does abuse take place in health services?

Answer 23

LO2.2 - Environmental factors that make abuse more likely

• positions of trust
• understaffed

Question 24

LO2.2 - Environmental factors that make abuse more likely

Why does abuse take place in independent living facilities?

Answer 24

LO2.2 - Environmental factors that make abuse more likely

• not staffed all the time
• might be targeted by staff, visitors, etc
• no control w/ friends + family

Question 25

LO2.2 - Environmental factors that make abuse more likely

Why does abuse take place in homelessness settings?

Answer 25

LO2.2 - Environmental factors that make abuse more likely

• isolated from others
• targets for abuse
• moving from one place to another
• unsafe places