### Question
Can you define what abuse means?


### Answer
**Abuse** is defined as the following in *42 U.S.C. § 10802*:

> any act or failure to act by an employee of a facility rendering care or treatment which was performed, or which was failed to be performed, knowingly, recklessly, or intentionally, and which caused, or may have caused, injury or death to a [1](#10802_1_target) individual with mental illness, and includes acts such as—


(A) the rape or sexual assault of a [1](#10802_1_target) individual with mental illness

#### Citation:
  - *42 U.S.C. § 10802*
  - Heading: **CHAPTER 114-PROTECTION AND ADVOCACY FOR MENTALLY ILL INDIVIDUALS > SUBCHAPTER I-PROTECTION AND ADVOCACY SYSTEMS > Part A-Establishment of Systems**

