maltreatment

American  

[mal-treet-muhnt] / mælˈtrit mənt /

noun

1. the act of treating someone badly, cruelly, or roughly; abuse.

   Around 4 to 6 percent of elderly people have experienced some form of maltreatment at home.

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Etymology

Origin of maltreatment

First recorded in 1700–10; mal- ( def. ) + treatment ( def. )

Explanation

Maltreatment is what happens when a person (or animal) is abused or deliberately harmed. If you are concerned with the maltreatment of animals, circuses probably disturb you. In the old days, some schoolchildren experienced maltreatment at the hands of their teachers, and while it happens less often today, many of them still deal with the maltreatment of playground bullies. Maltreatment of animals has been documented at large factory farms, and laws have been passed to protect them. Maltreatment adds the mal- prefix, meaning "badly," to treatment, "conduct toward someone."

Example Sentences

Such is the topic of a new paper in the Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma by a team of researchers led by Concordia's Walter Marcantoni.

From Science Daily • Nov. 14, 2024

The office will receive and address individual complaints of violations of the University Code of Conduct to Prevent and Address Maltreatment in Sport.

From Seattle Times • May 20, 2022

The findings were released in the 2020 Child Maltreatment Report, issued Friday by the U.S.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 25, 2022

According to the 2013 Child Maltreatment Report by the children’s bureau of the U.S.

From Washington Post • Feb. 16, 2016

Maltreatment of British subjects in Greece led Great Britain to send fleet to Piraeus, seizing shipping to enforce claims.

From The Scrap Book, Volume 1, No. 5 July 1906 by Various

Related Words

• injustice