Third of people witness/suspect physical abuse of vulnerable adults - Emotional abuse is the most common, with over one in three respondents saying they have experienced such abuse. Physical attacks of vulnerable adults have been witnessed/suspected by one third of people, with the highest incidence from within the home. One of the key findings of the research was that one third of the population feel vulnerable adult abuse to be widespread. Nearly 40% of people think such adults are badly treated in society. A lack of clarity regarding the point of contact for reporting vulnerable adult maltreatment was also highlighted, with one in three raising this as an issue. Those aged under 35 were found to be significantly less likely to feel they know the appropriate avenue. NSC chairwoman Patricia Rickard Clarke said the findings are “very worrying”.