B. Intimidation: Raising a hand or using other looks, actions, gestures to create fear. • Destroying property and abusing pets. • Mistreating service animals. • Displaying weapons.

C. Caregiver Privilege: Treating person as a child, servant. • Making unilateral decisions. • Defining narrow, limiting roles and responsibilities. • Providing care in a way to accentuate the person’s dependence and vulnerability. • Giving an opinion as if it were the person’s opinion. • Denying the right to privacy.
• Ignoring, discouraging, or prohibiting the exercise of full capabilities.

D. Isolation: Controlling access to friends, family and neighbors. • Controlling access to phone, TV, news. • Limiting employment possibilities because of caregiver schedule. • Discouraging contact with the case manager or advocate.

E. Minimize, Justify, & Blame: Denying or making light of abuse. • Denying physical and emotional pain of people with disabilities. • Justifying rules that limit autonomy, dignity, and relationships for program’s operational efficiency. • Excusing abuse as behavior management or caregiver stress. • Blaming the disability for abuse. • Saying the person is not a “good reporter” of abuse.

F. Withhold, Misuse, or Delay Needed Supports: Using medication to sedate the person for agency convenience. • Ignoring equipment safety requirements. • Breaking or not fixing adaptive equipment. • Refusing to use or destroying communication devices. • Withdrawing care or equipment to immobilize the person. • Using equipment to torture people.

G. Economic Abuse: Using person’s property and money for staff’s benefit. • Stealing. • Using property or money as a reward or punishment in a behavior program. • Making financial decisions based on agency or family needs. • Limiting access to financial information and resources resulting in unnecessary impoverishment.

H. Emotional Abuse: Punishing or ridiculing. • Refusing to speak and ignoring requests. • Ridiculing the person’s culture, traditions, religion and personal tastes. • Enforcing a negative reinforcement program or any behavior program the person doesn’t consent to.

Adapted and reprinted with permission from Wisconsin Coalition Against Domestic Violence Newsletter (Winter 1996/97), 15(4). Published from Madison, Wisconsin. 608/255-0539.