The Act of Abuse:

Abstract

Abuse is a problem that is of a social and moral as well as medical and psychological nature. A semiological approach is introduced as a way of encompassing those aspects in one definition. Abuse is seen as a social act, involving a witness: the necessary third actor who is evaluating the legitimacy of the act. Only those actions that are found to be illegitimate can be labeled abuse. Any definition of abuse must somehow consider morality.