Hyväksikäytössä

hyväksikäytössä is a Finnish adjective derived from the noun hyväksikäyttö (abuse, exploitation) with the suffix ‑ssä indicating a state or condition. It literally means “being abused” or “under abuse” and is used to describe individuals, groups or institutions that experience exploitation, maltreatment or undue control. The term is common in discussions of human rights, child welfare, labor law, and domestic violence, as well as in academic studies of power dynamics and social justice.

In everyday Finnish, hyväksikäytössä appears in both formal and informal contexts. For instance, a news article might report that “use of the building was found to be hyväksikäytössä by the tenants” or that a child was rescued from a situation described as “hyväksikäytössä”. In legal settings the phrase can be used in court documents to specify the circumstances of abuse, e.g., “The defendant was found guilty of placing the victim in a state of hyväksikäytössä.” The word can also describe systemic conditions, such as a workplace described as “päivätyöntekijöiden kohdalla hyväksikäytössä” to signal exploitation in labor practices.

The use of hyväksikäytössä underscores the severity of the situation; it carries an implicit call for intervention, whether by social services, law enforcement, or advocacy groups. The term is often paired with verbs that denote action, such as “auttaa”, “ensimmäinen velvollisuus” or “tunnistaa”, to emphasize responsibility and the need for remedial measures. In quizzes or media analysis, recognizing the word helps highlight systemic abuse or the failure of protective mechanisms.