This comprehensive text critically examines the experience of older people, from western and non-western cultures, as both victims and perpetrators of crime. An argument is presented emphasising issues of human rights and free will.
Since the late 1970s when Congressman Claude Pepper held widely publicized hearings on the mistreatment of the elderly, policy makers and practitioners have sought ways to protect older Americans from physical, psychological, and financial abuse. Yet, during the last 20 years fewer than 50 articles have addressed the shameful problem that abusersâ€"and sometimes the abused themselvesâ€"want to conceal. Elder Mistreatment in an Aging America takes a giant step toward broadening our understanding of the mistreatment of the elderly and recommends specific research and funding strategies that can be used to deepen it. The book includes a discussion of the conceptual, methodological, and logistical issues needed to create a solid research base as well as the ethical concerns that must be considered when working with older subjects. It also looks at problems in determination of a report's reliability and the role of physicians, EMTs, and others who are among the first to recognize situations of mistreatment. Elder Mistreatment in an Aging America will be of interest to anyone concerned about the elderly and ways to intervene when abuse is suspected, including family members, caregivers, and advocates for the elderly. It will also be of interest to researchers, research sponsors, and policy makers who need to know how to advance our knowledge of this problem.
This textbook focuses on the criminality and victimization of the elderly population. It provides a global perspective on the extent of the elderly crime and victimization, with international comparisons for addressing the problem. It explores the extent and types of crimes committed by the elderly, the characteristics of older criminals, and the responses of the criminal justice system (including prisons and institutions) to elderly criminals, including: diversion programs, community-based treatment programs, and special programs including health & mental health care services for older prisoners. The second part of the book covers victimization of the elderly. Research findings show that certain crimes including fraud, theft, and certain types of financial crimes disproportionately affect older people, and these types of crimes are growing in prevalence. This work explores the characteristics of older victims and the types of crimes that affect them. Finally, the book presents comparative international research on approaches to crime prevention, education, and legislation to address the victimization of the elderly. This work will be of interest to students in criminology and criminal justice, as well as related fields such as sociology, and gerontology.
Elder Abuse and Its Prevention is the summary of a workshop convened in April 2013 by the Institute of Medicine's Forum on Global Violence Prevention. Using an ecological framework, this workshop explored the burden of elder abuse around the world, focusing on its impacts on individuals, families, communities, and societies. Additionally, the workshop addressed occurrences and co-occurrences of different types of abuse, including physical, sexual, emotional, and financial, as well as neglect. The ultimate objective was to illuminate promising global and multisectoral evidence-based approaches to the prevention of elder maltreatment. While the workshop covered scope and prevalence and unique characteristics of abuse, the intention was to move beyond what is known about elder abuse to foster discussions about how to improve prevention, intervention, and mitigation of the victims' needs, particularly through collaborative efforts. The workshop discussions included innovative intervention models and opportunities for prevention across sectors and settings. Violence and related forms of abuse against elders is a global public health and human rights problem with far-reaching consequences, resulting in increased death, disability, and exploitation with collateral effects on well-being. Data suggest that at least 10 percent of elders in the United States are victims of elder maltreatment every year. In low- and middle-income countries, where the burden of violence is the greatest, the figure is likely even higher. In addition, elders experiencing risk factors such as diminishing cognitive function, caregiver dependence, and social isolation are more vulnerable to maltreatment and underreporting. As the world population of adults aged 65 and older continues to grow, the implications of elder maltreatment for health care, social welfare, justice, and financial systems are great. However, despite the magnitude of global elder maltreatment, it has been an underappreciated public health problem. Elder Abuse and Its Prevention discusses the prevalence and characteristics of elder abuse around the world, risk factors for abuse and potential adverse health outcomes, and contextually specific factors, such as culture and the role of the community.
Helping mental health clinicians anticipate, recognize and respond to elder abuse, this book quickly summarizes risk and protective factors, the important role of cognition and capacity and clinicians' legal and ethical obligations to report suspected or known elder abuse.
Population aging is occurring worldwide. Reports of abuse and neglect of older men and women are also evident on a global basis. While much of the work on identification, treatment and prevention of abuse of older persons has been within the family setting, it cannot be separated from the broader experience of growing old in contemporary society. Time and time again, issues around legislation, policy and practice collide with human rights, societal attitudes and stereotypes. Raising awareness of the link among aging, ageism and abuse, is one goal of this book and a necessary first step in the battle to eliminate abuse and neglect of older persons. But awareness is not enough, action needs to be taken to develop, case finding procedures and remedial and preventive policies and programs that are elder-friendly both in intent and in the way that they are implemented. This book offers a thought-provoking examination of selected current policies and programs that have been developed within the health, social services and criminal justice systems. It highlights the special issues and vulnerabilities of older women, older men and persons from the LGTB community. It also features a unique approach to reaching young people through an educational program that shapes attitudes and behavior via graphic art. - Clear, straightforward writing style - reader does not have to contend with murky theories and obscure references - Practical approach – readers can relate to the examples that are provided of situations in which abuse and neglect has or can occur
This book examines and analyses the experiences of older people as both victims and perpetrators of crime. Drawing upon a wealth of research from British and North American sources, the authors detail the historical experience of the elderly as victims, the extent of present-day criminal victimisation in the home and institutions, the social theories which attempt to explain that experience, and the types of resolution available. The book also addresses the experiences of elderly people in the criminal justice process - the offences to which they are prone, and the implications for penal policy of an increase in the elderly penal population. Crime, Abuse and the Elderly breaks new ground in its focus on the experiences of elderly people as criminal victims in private space, its insistence on a proper engagement of criminology with crimes involving older people, and in its argument that much so-called abuse can be explained criminologically and should be dealt with by the criminal justice system rather than by treatment and welfare agencies. It will be essential reading for students, academics and professionals concerned with the experiences of the elderly.