NCJ Number
138602
Journal
Journal of Interpersonal Violence Volume: 7 Issue: 3 Dated: (September 1992) Pages: 418-428
Date Published
1992
Length
11 pages
Annotation
This article reviews the meaning and uses of elder- and child-abuse concepts and perceptions in the reporting of pertinent events and research.
Abstract
This review examines the apparent parallels in the conceptions and perceptions from the earliest literature to the present. The child victim has been implicitly perceived as helpless and dependent, and only young to middle-aged adults have been perceived as perpetrators. When elder abuse was "discovered" in the middle to late 1970's, abused elderly persons were also perceived as helpless and dependent; they were never labeled as offenders. The stereotypical nature of the concepts and the labeling of victims has hampered the reporting of the maltreatment of the elderly and impaired the accuracy of the research. Definitions should be standardized so research findings can be compared and aggregated. Rather than using accidental samples, random samples and control groups should be selected from the general population; this would make generalization of the findings more feasible. Rather than relying on secondary or tertiary data, primary data should be collected through interviews and other objective research instruments. Public education programs should be mounted to reduce prejudice, stereotyping, and infantilization of elderly individuals. States should enact laws that mandate the reporting of elder abuse to the appropriate agencies. 27 references