Mistreatment targets any person in a vulnerable situation when a gesture, a word, an action or a lack of action compromises or harms their development, their rights, their fundamental needs or their health and this attack occurs. in a relationship of trust, dependence, care or support.

Situations of mistreatment can be one-off or long-lasting, intentional or not. Their origin can be individual, collective or institutional. Violence and neglect can take multiple and associated forms within these situations.

Many vulnerable adults suffer abuse in multiple forms: physical, psychological or even financial, the effects of which can have serious consequences for people in fragile situations.

These acts of violence are often acts that appear harmless, but which, when they escalate and accumulate, create conditions of isolation and suffering. It may also involve negligence, leading to failure to meet the essential needs of vulnerable people.