# Structural abuse

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> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Structural_abuse.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Structural_abuse
> Source revision: 1326731300
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

{{Short description|Process of unfair treatment by authority}}
{{Distinguish|Structural inequality|Structural violence|Societal racism}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{More citations needed|date=June 2025}}
{{Notability|date=December 2025}}
}}
'''Structural abuse''' is the process by which an individual or group is dealt with unfairly by a [social](/source/social) or [cultural](/source/cultural) system or authority. This unfairness manifests itself as [abuse](/source/abuse) in a [psychological](/source/Psychological_abuse), [financial](/source/Economic_abuse), [physical](/source/Physical_abuse) or [spiritual form](/source/Religious_abuse), and victims often are unable to protect themselves from harm. An individual's inability to protect themselves may lead to their entrapment in the system, preventing them from seeking [justice](/source/justice) or recompense for [crimes](/source/Crime) endured and [damages](/source/damages) incurred, creating a feeling of [isolation](/source/isolation_(psychology)) or helplessness. 
Systems containing abusive structures are primarily designed to control individuals or manipulate them for material gain.  Most social systems contain at least one structure that induces structural abuse. These structures, when allowed to exist, create a [cycle of abuse](/source/cycle_of_abuse), wherein the abuse is repetitive or contagious in nature, and may become acceptable in other parts of the system.

Structural abuse differs to [structural violence](/source/structural_violence) in terms of scale – structural violence is a process occurring within an entire society, such as [racism](/source/racism) or [classism](/source/classism), while structural abuse refers to a specific element of society, or a specific system within society. Abuse occurring on this smaller scale is not necessarily endorsed by wider society, such as [modern witch hunts](/source/Modern_witch-hunts), which have been condemned in South Africa, regardless of deaths that still occur in areas retaining anti-[Pagan](/source/Pagan) social structures.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Staff Reporter |title=Witch-hunts are illegal and must be condemned |url=https://mg.co.za/article/2012-03-23-witchhunts-are-illegal-and-must-be-condemned/ |access-date=3 August 2020 |publisher=Mail Guardian |date=23 March 2012}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

Category:Psychological abuse
Category:Abuse

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Structural abuse](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Structural_abuse) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Structural_abuse?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.