Abuse comes in many forms. It is an individual concept, people can be abused physically and emotionally and what is abuse to one person may not be to another. However, if at ANY point you feel scared, hurt, afraid or lonely due to someone else's behaviour - where there is no 'reasonable' explanation for it, then you are being unfairly treated and deserve help.

Three main forms of abuse are:

• Child abuse
• Domestic violence
• Self-harm

Child abuse is harm to a child for which there is no reasonable explanation; it includes non-accidental physical injury, neglect, sexual molestation and emotional abuse. Child abuse has become a national epidemic - more than one million children a year are removed from abusive homes and at least three children a day die from this type of abuse.

Domestic violence encompasses partner violence, family violence, spouse abuse, child abuse, battery and partner beating. This type of violence takes many forms and can happen consistently or sporadically and can include any behaviour that intimidates another person.

Self-harm can be hard to classify because we all do things that are not good for us and that may harm us. We also do things that inflict injury but that are primarily intended for other purposes, like piercing. Some self-harm is culturally sanctioned, while other types are seen as pathological, so where do we draw the line?

An easy line to draw is that of deliberate, immediate physical harm being done. For example, cutting your arm or hitting yourself are clearly self-injurious acts. Things like overeating, smoking and not exercising are harmful to a person in the long run but immediate physical damage is not the desired effect of the behaviour. Tattooing and piercing, where physical modification of the body is deliberate and is the desired effect, can be seen as a method of improving the body not as wanting to hurt oneself.

Any behaviour that acts against the welfare of yourself is considered as harm. If you feel the need to harm yourself, talk to someone and ask why you feel you need to be punished?

Do not hurt alone!

You can speak confidentially to one of Connexions personal advisers by phoning our free phone number: 0800 435 709