If you built your model using the CAE's geometrical approach, you can prescribe the conditions (loads, displacement etc.) using the geometrical entities (edges, faces etc.) contained in your model. ABAQUS will distribute internally the loads or displacemenent on the nodes or elements found on the corresponding geometrical entities.
You can prescribe conditions directly at an element/node level if you use an orphan mesh.
You can prescribe distributed shear force using the Load module -> Surface traction.