Many seniors fear falling victim to elder abuse. Financial scams targeting the elderly, neglect in assisted living facilities, and emotional or physical abuse from one’s adult children are real threats to seniors in the US and around the world.
Elder abuse is “an intentional act or failure to act that causes or creates a risk of harm to an older adult,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Most definitions of elder abuse have three elements: (1) a single or repeated act of commission or omission, (2) occurs within a relationship of trust, and (3) causes harm or distress to an older person.
Physical abuse, sexual abuse, financial abuse, neglect, and emotional or psychological abuse are all forms of elder abuse. Research shows that emotional or psychological abuse is the most common form of elder abuse. Much elder abuse occurs at the hands of family and caretakers. Financial abuse is the exception, as many perpetrators are unknown to the victims. Elder abuse can result in psychological damage, financial devastation, physical harm, or death.
Elder abuse tends to go unreported, so it’s hard to know exactly how common it is. Research shows that between 10-20% of seniors experience elder abuse. Low rates of reporting make elder abuse a challenge to study or prevent. In their research, Drs. Mark Lachs and Jacqueline Berman found that the elder abuse incident rate was 23.5 times greater than the number of cases referred to social services, law enforcement, or legal authorities.
Recent social science research helps us to better understand causes of elder abuse. Dr. Jennifer Storey’s 2020 literature review examined 198 studies on elder abuse to better understand risk factors for elder abuse. There are eight broad overarching perpetrator and victim risk factors for elder abuse: (1) problems with physical health, (2) problems with mental health, (3) problems with substance use, (4) dependency, (5) problems with stress and coping, (6) problems with attitudes, including attitudes toward caregiving by perpetrators or victims minimizing abuse, (7) previous instances of experiencing or witnessing abuse, and (8) problems with relationships.
Much elder abuse is preventable. Additionally, prevention is more cost-effective than dealing with the consequences of abuse. Psychologists, physicians, nurses, social workers, and police should receive research-informed training on elder abuse. Educating and establishing a culture of advocacy empowers professionals to identify conditions that are conducive to elder abuse and take action to mitigate this abuse.
It is also necessary to strengthen health and long-term care systems to prevent abuse. Training, adequate staffing, and competitive wages are key steps to ensure that the care needs of the elderly are met. Initiatives like these require intentional leadership and significant funding, but promise to mitigate abuse in institutional settings.
Outside of nursing homes and long-term care facilities, reducing elder abuse faces many hurdles, including dependency among perpetrators and victims. Policymakers and practitioners can implement research-informed risk management efforts to prevent elder abuse and educate the public. Public health campaigns can inform the public of risk factors associated with elder abuse and empower people to protect themselves or seniors in their lives.
Want to know more? I’ll be giving a lecture titled “Crime and the Elderly” at the Saint Simons Island Public Library tonight (Wednesday, 1/15/2025) at 6:00 p.m. I am the first talk in the 2025 Coastal Georgia Reads lecture series, which is sponsored by the Marshes of Glynn Libraries. The event is free and open to the public. I hope to see you there.
Roscoe Scarborough, Ph.D. is chair of the Department of Social Sciences and associate professor of sociology at College of Coastal Georgia. He is an associate scholar at the Reg Murphy Center for Economic and Policy Studies. He can be reached by email at rscarborough@ccga.edu.
Reg Murphy Center