Issues will always be available online & sometimes offline in printed editions.

Do you have any concerns about life in Ainslie Village, or Argyle Housing in general?

Do you think Argyle Housing are doing things that bring harm to you or other villagers?

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Abuse

I personally believe abuse is carried out in many forms in the village, here is a bit of a primer, cribbed together from other sources.

Forms of Abuse

Physical abuse

It is physical abuse if somebody hits or handles the person roughly, even if there is no injury. Giving a person too much or too little medication, or physically restraining a person, are also forms of physical abuse.

Any behaviour that leads to any sort of harm to another’s body is a form of physical abuse. This can include behaviour that exacerbates pre-existing conditions, and any person who is warned that what they are doing is detrimental to someone’s health should cease that behaviour immediately, and seek medical advice before doing any similar behaviour.

Sexual abuse

It is sexual abuse if somebody forces anyone to engage in sexual activity. This may include verbal or suggestive behaviour, not respecting personal privacy, sexual touching, or sex without the person’s consent.

Emotional abuse

It is emotional abuse if somebody threatens, insults, intimidates, or humiliates someone, treats the person like a child, or does not allow them to see their family and friends.

It is also emotional abuse to spread rumours, gossip or any private information about another person.

At an organisational level it heightens emotional abuse to spread rumours, gossip even what you believe to be facts about another person to anyone outside the organisation unless you have specific written authorisation to do so.

Emotional abuse can devastate a person’s sense of identity, dignity, or self-worth.

Financial abuse

It is financial abuse if somebody tricks, threatens, or persuades anyone out of their money, property, or possessions. It is also financial abuse to coerce people into working for any rate below award wages, keep inaccurate records of accounts and payments, and to induce fear.

Misusing a power of attorney is a common form of financial abuse for vulnerable people.

Violation of rights and freedoms, of liberty

It is a violation of rights and freedoms if somebody interferes with anyone’s ability to make choices, especially when those choices are protected under the law. Examples include interfering with spiritual practices or traditions; withholding mail or information; denying privacy; preventing visitors; dictating how someone else can spend their own money; or keeping someone in an institution without a legitimate reason.

Neglect

It is neglect if somebody fails to provide the necessities of life, such as food, clothing, a safe shelter, medical attention, personal care, and necessary supervision. Neglect may be intentional or unintentional. Sometimes the people providing care do not have the necessary knowledge, experience, or ability.

Systemic abuse

Systemic abuse (also called institutional abuse) refers to rules, regulations, policies, or social practices that harm or discriminate against any person.

Systemic abuse includes rules that are developed for an apparently neutral purpose, but that hurt the person. Examples include using physical restraints as an easy way to prevent falls; or diapering a person instead of helping them to the washroom, simply to save time or effort. Sometimes staff shortages can lead to systemic neglect.

Systematic Emotional Abuse

This is the attempt to destroy the will, needs, desires, or perceptions of the survivor, which is tantamount to destroying the self. 

This is distinctly different from mere opposition, failure to meet needs, or disagreement. It is a denial of the legitimacy, rightness, and sanity of the will, needs, desires and perceptions.

Systematic emotional abuse is part of behavioural or sociological abuse, but it also goes beyond.

The survivor may suffer invalidation, gaslighting, and discouragement, and is commonly associated with narcissism in the aggressor. It is often focused on particular areas, and not overt or complete control. Despite this, over time tremendous trauma and ‘de-selfing’ occurs.

It is ultimately the goal, not the tactics that defines abuse. Some behaviours are in and of themselves abusive, but some ‘nice’ behaviors are part of a pattern of abuse, if the intent is to control. 

Abuse is not a sloppy collection of episodic unpleasant behaviours. Whether ‘premeditated’ or not, it is a systematic effort to gain power and control.

Main Sources

website https://cnpea.ca/en/what-is-elder-abuse/forms-of-abuse

more https://www.abuseandrelationships.org/Content/Basics/abuse.html

a little bit from https://www.dictionary.com/e/systematic-vs-systemic/