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4 acts you didn’t know count as abuse 

By Ruth Nderitu on

In life, there are bad things that happen to us and while they make us feel bad, sad, or confused, we let them be. We have been socialized to look at these things as petty.

Abuse is any deliberate action that harms or causes injuries to another person. The harm can either be emotional or physical.

In a world where physical abuse tops the list of the most common form of violence, most of us might not notice when we are being abused through other forms rather than physical.

Many forms of abuse are also criminal offenses and should be treated that way. It is for this reason that it is imperative for you to be acquainted with acts that you didn’t know count as abuse.

1. Self-neglect

   It is not possible to flourish if you do not take care of yourself.  This is for people who disregard their being to an extent that it threatens their personal health and security. Self-care is crucial to overall personal development and growth.

   When you choose to neglect your personal hygiene or even health, you abuse yourself. It is important to seek help or access services when you are not feeling well. In addition, it is wrong when you choose to harm yourself by misusing medication or even trying to end your life through a drug overdose.

2. Non-consensual masturbation

   We are all born with free will to do whatever makes us whole and have rights to our different needs. However, your right stops where mine begins. Non-consensual masturbation to either or both persons is abuse.

   Any form of sexual pleasure or activity must be consented to, anything besides that is abuse and I encourage you to develop and master the art of seeking consent.  You cannot blame passion yet self-control is possible. You lose nothing by asking for a go-ahead.

   Masturbation might look petty to seek consent for, but it is necessary unless you want to be an abuser. Ask and it shall be given to you or denied.

3. Sexual teasing

   Sexual harassment is an end goal of what normally looks like sexual teasing in the beginning. Inappropriate looking, catcalling, or sending someone pornography material aimed at sexually teasing them without their approval is abuse.  

   Any form of sexual activity or pleasure has to be consented to.  Teasing sounds like a small thing but when uninvited, it can land you into trouble. Let us normalize and master the art of seeking consent.

4. Failure to respect privacy

   You are entitled to privacy and anybody who does not respect your personal space is abusing you. Inappropriate monitoring behaviors and making someone purposefully uncomfortable become abusive because it disrupts the normal behavior of a person.

   You feel uneasy, exposed, and worse, a knot of tension due to the uncertainty that comes with over-exposure. Further, sharing personal details without someone’s consent breaches his/her privacy and this could be in terms of healthcare and medical treatment or personal data and information. do not disclose someone’s HIV status without their consent.

 What other acts do you feel count as abuse?