Introduction

Abstract

Elder abuse is the largely unknown violence phenomenon of the 1990s. Although recognised for centuries and reported in the professional press increasingly since the mid-1970s, it is the least acknowledged of the types of human violence. The spectrum of violence has been well publicised with reports of child abuse and spouse abuse, but the entry of another area of abuse has been met by the equivalent of battle fatigue. This seems to be true for both professional and lay person. This book seeks to examine the contemporary dimensions of elder abuse. It aims to provide the reader with the accumulated knowledge base concerning this obviously complex human experience.