This text brings together a number of different research studies and accounts of institutional abuse from leading academics and researchers. Public enquiries and court cases concerning institutional abuse in a range of settings have generated considerable media interest in the field of institutional abuse, and have highlighted the need for preventative strategies and appropriate responses to this form of abuse. Four areas of abuse are covered: the abuse of children; the abuse of adults with mental health problems; the abuse of adults with learning difficulties; and the abuse of older people. Each section includes a chapter which reports on users' experiences of abuse, and their views as to how institutional abuse can be prevented and survivors' needs met.