Organisational or Institutional Abuse

What is Organisational or Institutional abuse?

Organisational or Institutional abuse is the mistreatment of people brought about by poor or inadequate care or support, or systematic poor practice that affects the whole care setting. It occurs when the individual’s wishes and needs are sacrificed for the smooth running of a group, service or organisation.

Why does it happen?

In formal settings organisational or institutional abuse is more likely to occur where staff are:

• inadequately trained
• poorly supervised
• not supported by management
• have poor communication skills
• part of a ‘closed’ culture, for example a care setting where new ideas, visitors, care management or other
• professional involvement is discouraged

Organisational or institutional abuse can involve more than one abuser, and there might also be a number of people experiencing the same abuse e.g. hate crime against particular groups or several family members mistreating a dependent other.