The management of abuse: 1. Setting the scene.

UNLABELLED: This series of articles has been developed to provide all members of the dental team with an understanding of the different forms of abuse, and the political, social and legal context of safeguarding patients. It also aims to assist the dental team in recognizing and managing abuse effectively, by outlining processes whereby dental practitioners can provide a safe environment for their patients to disclose abuse, and identifying protocols for reporting abuse. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The GDP and dental team have an important role to play in dealing with patients who are being abused.