by Max (@piercethemax_)
The abuse of power comes as far as BC and is known throughout the entire world. If it wasn't Hitler brainwashing the population and abusing his power to get rid of his fetishes, it's in any average joe's workplace or even at the home of the most innocent, typical family.
What exactly is the abuse of power?
Abuse of power in the form of "malfeasance (wrongdoing) in the office" is an unlawful act, done in an official capacity, which affects the performance of official duties. It can happen at any given place at any given time, but is mostly encountered in the workplace and/or in domestic circumstances.
Malfeasance in the office is often grounds for a for cause removal of an elected official by statue or recall election. A good example of such would be if one party doesn't get the job he/she wanted and starts discriminating against the elected party or the elected party talks down and discriminates against those beneath him/her.
Abuse of power can also be known as a person using the power they have for their own personal gain. People are selfish at nature and abnegation is rare, especially when the fight instinct is overpowering, driving survival of the fittest.
Any type of abuse starts with the abuse of power, because if a party realizes that's the only way to grab other's attention, it'll continue without realization. Any abuse is driven by the abuse of power, because the alpha is never controlled by the beta in anyone's mind, especially in those who use abuse to their own advantage.
A good example of abuse of power is Fa Zheng, a man appointed as the Administrator of Shu commandery. He oversaw administrative affairs in the vicinity of Yi Province's capital Chengdu and served as Liu Bei's chief adviser.
During this period of time, he abused his power by taking personal revenge against those who offended him before and killing them without reason.
A common example of the abuse of power, is our vain, admired police officers.
Legal abuse, Law enforcement abuse, and just abuse in general can fall into the hands of a vengeful cop, and that could cause ricochet of a dangerous ripple effect.
In dictatorial, corrupt, or weak states, police officers may carry out many criminal acts for the ruling regime with impunity. Institutional racism has been found in modern police forces or even common members of society.
Individual officers, or sometimes units, can be corrupt and carry out various forms of police wrongdoing. This happens in many forces, but is problematic where police pay is very low (or supplemented by bribes).
Police sometimes act with unneeded brutality when they overreact to confrontational situations to extract a confession from a person they may or may not genuinely suspect of being guilty. Instances of racism occur most often, even when not all are guilty of this.
Institutional abuse is the mistreatment or neglect of an adult at risk by a regime or individuals. It takes place within settings and services that adults at risk live in or use, including any organisation, within or outside of the Health and Social Care sector.
It is the mistreatment of a person (often children or older adults) from a system of power. This can range from acts similar to home-based child abuse, such as neglect, physical and sexual abuse, to the effects of assistance programs working below acceptable service standards, or relying on harsh or unfair ways to modify behavior.
Institutional abuse occurs most often in households, one party having an overpowering lead above the rest of the participating parties, and is unrecognized by the abuser.
Institutional abuse can be transmitted from the ruling party to the existing parties, much like a disease, because by using unfair uses of behavioral modifications, the affected party can see it as acceptable. In such a way, the "faulty idea" can be brought down from generation to generation and the abuse of power continues.
Institutional abuse may occur:
when routines, systems and regimes result in poor standards of care
when poor practice and behaviours are in place
within strict regimes and rigid routines which violate the dignity and human rights of the adults and place them at risk of harm
within a culture that denies, restricts or curtails privacy, dignity, choice and independency.
Possible signs are:
the person has no personal clothing or possessions
there is no care plan for them
he or she is often admitted to hospital
there are instances of professionals having treated them badly or unsatisfactorily or acting in a way that cause harm to the person
If you suspect abuse, exploitation or neglect, it is of dire importance that you report your concerns. You can save a life.
Bibliography:
I'd also like to thank my friend, Elsje-Mari van der Poel for helping me write the article in dire struggles.
YOU ARE READING
TSZ Magazine: December 2016 (Issue #4)
Non-FictionAbuse is an issue often whispered about in corners, or hidden behind through romantic movies and music. Depicted as the new normal, very few stand against it. This month we step out out of the shadows and we shine light on this topic that often leav...
