Which of the following constitutes Physical Abuse?

• A. It excludes injury caused by medication errors
• B. It only covers injuries that occur in institutions
• C. It does not include actual or attempted sexual battery
• D. It includes intentionally inflicting or allowing to be inflicted physical injury on a vulnerable adult by an act or failure to act, including hitting, kicking, biting, actual or attempted sexual battery, or improper use of medication

Answer: (D)

Physical abuse is any intentional or reckless harm to a vulnerable adult’s body, carried out by a caregiver or anyone else, and it can be through actions or by failing to act to prevent harm. It covers a wide range of behaviors, including hitting, kicking, and biting, and it explicitly includes actual or attempted sexual battery as well as the improper use of medication. The key idea is that abuse can come from doing something harmful or from not preventing harm, and it isn’t limited to a particular setting. This broader, inclusive definition is why the statement listing these elements is correct. Statements that exclude medication errors, limit harm to institutions, or omit sexual battery don’t match the full scope of what constitutes physical abuse.