NCJ Number
143715
Journal
Royal Canadian Mounted Police Gazette Volume: 55 Issue: 6 Dated: (1993) Pages: 1-9
Date Published
1993
Length
9 pages
Annotation
Abuse of the elderly has only recently come to the public's attention in Canada; the actual extent of such abuse needs to be assessed and crime and victimization patterns evaluated.
Abstract
By the year 2000, about 4 million Canadians will be 65 years of age and over. A 1989 study indicates that approximately 4 percent of the elderly have suffered some form of abuse. Female victims outnumber male victims by a 5:3 ratio. Each year, 5,000 elderly Canadians are threatened by a family member with a knife or gun and 60,000 seniors are victims of property or financial abuse. Community policing for the elderly has become a high priority in many police agencies, and police agencies have generally extended their role to serve seniors in ways not strictly related to law enforcement. In addition, programs have been initiated by the Canadian government to provide specialized crime prevention services for the elderly. Many crime prevention programs use older citizens as both resource personnel and volunteers. Characteristics of both victims and abusers are examined, and signs and symptoms of abuse are identified.