NCJ Number
147571
Journal
Journal of Elder Abuse and Neglect Volume: 5 Issue: 4 Dated: (1993) Pages: 35-57
Date Published
1993
Length
23 pages
Annotation
The National Aging Resource Center on Elder Abuse (NARCEA) conducted a survey in the fall of 1991 to evaluate State adult protective service (APS) agencies and State units on aging and collect statistical data on elder abuse in domestic settings.
Abstract
In all 50 States, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands, State APS agencies and/or State units on aging are designated by statute to receive reports of domestic elder abuse. To conduct the survey, questionnaires were mailed to State APS agencies and State units on aging to obtain elder abuse incidence data, data on abuse type and frequency, and data on abuser and victim characteristics. A total of 74 agencies from 52 jurisdictions responded to the survey. Findings revealed a substantial increase in the number of reports of elder maltreatment in domestic settings. Neglect by others, the most frequent type of elder maltreatment, accounted for nearly half of all substantiated reports. Physical abuse, the second most frequent type of elder maltreatment, accounted for about 20 percent of all substantiated reports. Many States had more difficulty providing data on perpetrators than victims of elder abuse. Nonetheless, most abusers were males, and two-thirds of victims were females. Elderly people 85 years of age and older appeared to be the most vulnerable age group. 12 references, 2 notes, and 11 tables