Cultural and spiritual abuse – what it is and how to stop it

Cultural and spiritual abuse happen when someone uses a person’s culture, language, spirituality or religion, and cultural connection or obligations to hurt or control them. They are now considered to be additional forms of abuse of older people, alongside physical, psychological, financial and sexual abuse and neglect. They emerged as specific issues in the research and evidence behind the National Prevention Framework for the Abuse and Mistreatment of Older People (p 97).

Because culture and religion can be intertwined in a person’s sense of identity, these types of abuse may overlap within an older person’s experience. But each can happen independently, too.

Cultural and spiritual abuse are not confined to any particular religions, faiths, cultures or communities. They can occur within any group of people, but often happen within families, care settings or religious communities.

Examples of cultural or spiritual abuse of older people

• Denying them access to cultural or community gatherings and activities

• Preventing them from accessing and participating in religious or spiritual places, gatherings or events

• Ridiculing their beliefs, whether cultural or spiritual

• Disconnecting people from Country, mob or community

• Using religious teachings or texts to convince them to remain in an abusive relationship or to justify abusive or violent acts

• Denying them access to important information in their preferred language