Adults who are being abused may:

• stop attending events or participating in activities they used to enjoy
• withdraw from family and friends
• show a change in personality
• show signs of depression or anxiety
• have mood swings
• hint about abuse
• talk about their partner's substance use or abuse and express concern about what the children are seeing when the other parent is using substances
• have bruises or other physical injuries that do not match up with how they say they got them
• not want to make even simple decisions without their partner
• have limited access to money
• spend little time with friends and family outside the relationship
• begin to use or abuse drugs or alcohol as a way to cope.

Children who are being neglected or abused may:

• often be hungry, dirty or not dressed for the weather
• dress provocatively or inappropriately
• be left alone frequently
• try to take on adult responsibilities, such as taking care of younger brothers and sisters, doing household tasks or trying to look after a parent
• withdraw from others, lack energy or act passively
• act aggressively towards others
• be extremely watchful or fearful of parents' reactions
• have problems at school or with their grades
• have unexplained bruises or injuries
• know more about sex than is normal for their age
• start smoking or using drugs or alcohol to cope
• run away from home repeatedly.

Youth who are being neglected or abused may:

• have mood swings
• change their style of clothing, makeup or hair
• skip or drop out of school, or have falling or failing grades
• overreact to things that seem small or unimportant
• seem to lose confidence in themselves
• withdraw from friends or family
• stop attending events or activities they used to attend
• start smoking, or using or abusing drugs or alcohol as a way to cope
• start hanging out with different people
• have bruises, sores, scratches or broken bones especially if the injuries do not match up with how they say they got them
• run away from home repeatedly.

Older adults who are being abused may:

• seem frightened, withdrawn or depressed
• seem groggy all the time, possibly due to over-medicating
• show signs of depression or anxiety
• lose weight or seem too thin
• wear dirty clothing or clothing not suitable for the season
• not have their glasses, dentures, hearing or other assistive aid(s)
• have bruises, sores or broken bones
• be isolated from others
• have items missing from their homes
• have someone cashing their pension cheques or withdrawing money from their bank accounts
• have their medication taken from them.