maltreatment
Harsh, harmful handling
Maltreatment is cruel, abusive, or neglectful treatment of someone or something.
The word appears most often in formal or clinical contexts—child maltreatment, elder maltreatment—where it covers physical abuse, emotional abuse, and neglect as a category: The report documented years of maltreatment in the facility.
Violent offensive act
- batteryPortable electricity storage
- harmInjury or damage
- injuryPhysical or psychological harm
- violenceHarmful physical force
victimization · exploitation · torment · aggression · bullying · harassment · brutality · degradation
Unjust exercise of power
- tyrannyOppressive, absolute governance
- subjugationForcing into submission
- persecutionSystematic mistreatment of groups
- discriminationUnjust differential treatment
exploitation · enslavement · repression · domination · injustice · inequality · disenfranchisement · marginalization
Deliberate infliction of suffering
- sadismPleasure from inflicting pain
- brutalitySavage, merciless behavior
- inhumanityExtreme cruelty toward others
- barbaritySavage or cruel behavior
savagery · viciousness · heartlessness · callousness · mercilessness · pitilessness · harshness · severity
Act of leaving permanently
- negligenceFailure to exercise care
- disregardWillful lack of attention
- inattentionLack of focus
- deprivationState of lacking necessities
isolation · starvation · dereliction · unconcern · indifference · desertion · forsaking · malnourishment
assault
Violent offensive act
violence · victimization · exploitation · torment · aggression · bullying · harassment · brutality · degradation · mistreatment
oppression
Unjust exercise of power
- tyrannyOppressive, absolute governance
- subjugationForcing into submission
- persecutionSystematic mistreatment of groups
discrimination · exploitation · enslavement · repression · domination · injustice · inequality · disenfranchisement · marginalization · dehumanization
torture
Deliberate infliction of suffering
- sadismPleasure from inflicting pain
- brutalitySavage, merciless behavior
- inhumanityExtreme cruelty toward others
barbarity · savagery · viciousness · heartlessness · callousness · mercilessness · pitilessness · harshness · severity · ruthlessness
abandonment
Act of leaving permanently
- negligenceFailure to exercise care
- disregardWillful lack of attention
- inattentionLack of focus
deprivation · isolation · starvation · dereliction · unconcern · indifference · desertion · forsaking · malnourishment · oversight
- dangersdanger, peril, hazard, risk, menace
- abusemistreatment, domestic abuse, elder abuse, cruelty, emotional abuse
- child welfarechild protection, child welfare, foster care, child services, foster home
- crueltycruelty, brutality, inhumanity, viciousness, ruthlessness
maltreatmentcare
Attentive regard for others
kindness · nurturing · compassion · protection · cherishing