victimized

An adult who's been treated unfairly or hurt by someone else is said to have been victimized.

The word "victimized" can seem pretty serious because it usually refers to people who've gone through a really tough experience, like bullying at school, harassment at work, or even domestic abuse. When we say that someone has been victimized, we're talking about how they were taken advantage of or hurt on purpose by someone else. It's often used in news stories and discussions about social issues to describe what happened to the person and how it affected them. For example, "The charity is working to help victims of human trafficking who have been victimized and are now seeking support." In this context, being victimized means that someone has experienced abuse or mistreatment at the hands of another person.