Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
Book cover

Handbook of Sociology of Aging pp 415–430Cite as

Elder Mistreatment

  • Chapter
  • First Online:

Part of the book series: Handbooks of Sociology and Social Research ((HSSR))

Abstract

Quality of life has emerged as a strong theme in the study of sociology of aging and life course. Victims of elder abuse and neglect experience low quality of life, along with a greater risk of morbidity and mortality (CDC 2009; Dong et al. 2009; Lachs et al. 1998). Evidence suggests elder mistreatment has existed historically in various forms (Pillemer and Wolf 1986), and current estimates suggest between one and two million older Americans suffer physically, psychologically, and/or financially at the hands of a trusted caregiver, spouse, or other family member.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   109.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD   139.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD   169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

References

  • Acierno, Ronald, Melba Hernandez-Tejada, Wendy Muzzy, and Kenneth Steve. 2009. The National Elder Mistreatment Study. Washington, D.C.: National Institute of Justice.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bonnie, Richard J. and Robert B. Wallace, eds. 2003. Elder Mistreatment: Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation in an Aging America. Washington D.C.: National Academics Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bonomi, Amy E., Melissa L. Anderson, Robert J. Reid, David Carrell, Paul A. Fishman, Frederick P. Rivara, and Robert S. Thompson. 2007. Intimate Partner Violence in Older Women. The Gerontologist 47(1):34–41.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burgess, Ann and Nancy Hanrahan. 2006. Identifying Forensic Markers in Elder Sexual Abuse. National Institute of Justice, Washington, D.C.

    Google Scholar 

  • Branch, Laurence. 2008. Florida Elder Abuse Study. Washington, D.C.: National Institute of Justice.

    Google Scholar 

  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2006. Understanding Intimate Partner Violence. Factsheet 2006. Retrieved (http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/IPV_factsheet-a.pdf).

  • —  —  —. 2009. Understanding Elder Maltreatment Factsheet 2009. Retrieved (www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf).

  • Costa, A. J. 1993. Elder Abuse. Primary Care 20(2):375–89.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dahlberg Linda L. and Etienne G. Krug. 2002. Violence – a Global Public Health Problem. Pp. 1–56 in World Report on Violence and Health, edited by Etienne Krug, Linda L. Dahlberg, James A. Mercy, Anthony B. Zwi, and Rafael Lozano. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization.

    Google Scholar 

  • De Montesquiou, Alfred. 2010. Abandoned, 85 Elderly Haitians Await Death. Associated Press January 17, 2010.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dong, XinQi., Melissa Simon, Carlos Mendes de Leon, Terry Fulmer, Todd Beck, Liesi Hebert, Carmel Dyer, Gregory Paveza and Dennis Evans. 2009. Elder Self-Neglect and Abuse and Mortality Risk in a Community Dwelling Population. Journal of American Medical Association 302(5):517–26.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dyer, Carmel B., Luis Sanchez, Lucia Kim, Jason Burnett, Stacy Mitchell, Barbara Reilley, Sabrina Pickens, and Michelle Mehta. 2008. Factors that Impact the Determination by Medical Examiners of Elder Mistreatment as a Cause of Death in Older People. Washington, D.C.: National Institute of Justice.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fulmer, Terry, Gregory Paveza, and Lisa Guadagno. 2002. Elder Abuse and Neglect: Policy Issues for Two Very Different Problems. Public Policy and Aging Report 12(2):15–18.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fulmer, Terry, Gregory Paveza, Carla VandeWeerd, Sharon Fairchild, Lisa Guadagno, Marguarette Bolton-Blatt, and Robert Norman. 2005. Dyadic Vulnerability and Risk Profiling for Elder Neglect. The Gerontologist 45(4):525–34.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gelles, R. J. & Straus, M. A. (1988). Intimate Violence. New York: Simon and Schuster.

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnson, Michael P. 2008. A Typology of Domestic Violence: Intimate Terrorism, Violent Resistance, Situational Couple Violence, and Mutual Violent Control. Lebanon, NH: Northeastern University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lachs, Mark S., Christianna S. Williams, Shelley O’Brien, Karl A. Pillemer, and Mary E. Charlson. 1998. The Mortality of Elder Mistreatment. Journal of the American Medical Association 280(5):428–32.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Laumann, Edward O., Sara A. Leitsch, and Linda J. Waite. 2008. Elder Mistreatment in the United States: Prevalence Estimates From a Nationally Representative Study. Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences 63B(4):S248–54.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Levinson, David. 1989. Family Violence in Cross Cultural Perspective. Newbury Park CA. Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Logan, John and Glenna Spitze. 1996. Family Ties: Enduring Relations between Parents and Their Adult Children. Philadelphia: Temple University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • McNamee, Catherine C., and Mary B. Murphy. 2006. Elder Abuse in the United States (Journal No. 255). Washington, D.C.: National Institute of Justice.

    Google Scholar 

  • Malphurs, Julie E. and Donna Cohen. 2002. A Newspaper Surveillance Study of Homicide-Suicide in the United States. American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology 23(2):142–48.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maxwell Elanor K. and Robert J. Maxwell. 1992. Insults to the Body Civil: Mistreatment of Elderly in Two Plains Indian Tribes. Journal of Cross-Cultural Gerontology 7:3–22.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Metlife Mature Market Institute Study. 2009. Broken Trust: Elders, Family, and Finances. March, 2009. Retrieved October 27, 2009 (http://www.maturemarketinstitute.com).

  • National Coalition against Domestic Violence. 2006. Comparison of VAWA 1994, VAWA 2000, and VAWA 2005 Reauthorization Bill. Washington, D.C.

    Google Scholar 

  • Newsweek. 1991. A Dumping Ground for Granny: Weary Families Drop Her in the Emergency Room. December 23, 1991.

    Google Scholar 

  • Older American’s Act Amendments. 2006. Administration on Aging, Department of Health and Human Services. Retrieved (http://www.aoa.gov/aoaroot/aoa_programs/OAA/oaa_change.aspx).

  • Pillemer, Karl. 1986. Risk Factors in Elder Abuse: Results from a Case-Control Study. Pp. 236–263 in Elder Abuse: Conflict in the Family, edited by K. Pillemer and R. S. Wolf. Dover, MA: Auburn House.

    Google Scholar 

  • —  —  —. 2005. Elder Abuse is Caused by the Deviance and Dependence of Abusive Caregivers. Pp. 207–20 in Current Controversies on Family Violence, 2nd ed., edited by D. Loseke, R. Donileen, R. J. Gelles, and M. M. Cavanaugh. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pillemer, Karl and David Finkelhor. 1988. The Prevalence of Elder Abuse: A Random Sample Survey. The Gerontologist 28:51–7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • —  —  —. 1989. Causes of Elder Abuse: Caregiver Stress vs. Problem Relatives. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry 59:179–87.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pillemer, Karl and Rosalie S. Wolf. 1986. Elder Abuse: Conflict in the Family. Dover, MA: Auburn House.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ramnarace, Cynthia. 2009. How Can We Protect Against Elder Abuse During a Down Economy? AARP Bulletin, July 17.

    Google Scholar 

  • Salari, Sonia. 2002. Intergenerational Partnerships in Aging Services: Importance of Age-Appropriate Environments and Behaviors. The Gerontologist 42(3):321–33.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • —  —  —. 2006. Infantilization as Elder Maltreatment: Evidence from 5 Adult Day Centers. Journal of Elder Abuse and Neglect 17(4):53–91.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • —  —  —. 2007. Patterns of Intimate Partner Homicide Suicide in Later Life: Strategies for Prevention. Clinical Interventions in Aging, volume 3. Memphis, TN: Dove Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • —  —  —. 2009. Neighborhood and Community Trauma: Responses to Mid and Later Life Intimate Partner Homicide Suicide. Paper Presentation Gerontological Society of America, Atlanta GA, Nov 21.

    Google Scholar 

  • Salari, Sonia and Bret Baldwin. 2002. Verbal, Physical, and Injurious Aggression among Intimate Couples over Time. Journal of Family Issues 23(4):523–50.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Steinmetz, Suzanne. 2005. Elder Abuse is Caused by the Perception of Stress Associated with Providing Care. Pp. 191–205 in Current Controversies on Family Violence, 2nd ed., edited by D. R. Loseke, R. J. Gelles, and M. M. Cavanaugh. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Teaster, Pamela. 2004. A Response to the Abuse of Vulnerable Adults: The 2000 Survey of State Adult Protective Services. Report to the National Center on Elder Abuse, Administration on Aging, Washington, D.C.

    Google Scholar 

  • Teaster, Pamela B., Tyler D. Dugar, Joanne M. Otto, Marta S. Mendiondo, Erin L. Abner, and Kara A. Cecil. 2006. The 2004 Survey of State Adult Protective Services: Abuse of Adults 60 Years of Age and Older. Report to the National Center on Elder Abuse, Administration on Aging, Washington, D.C.

    Google Scholar 

  • U.S. Department of Justice. 2003. Do Batterer Intervention Programs Work? Two Studies. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Justice.

    Google Scholar 

  • Walker, Lenore E.A. 2009. The Battered Woman Syndrome, 3rd ed. New York: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wallace, Harvey. 2005. Elder Abuse. Family Violence: Legal, Medical and Social Perspectives, 3rd ed. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weiss, Elaine. 2003. Family and Friends’ Guide to Domestic Violence: How to Listen, Talk, and Take Action When Someone You Care About is Being Abused. Volcano, CA: Volcano Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wolf, Rosalie. 2000. The Nature and Scope of Elder Abuse: Changes in Perspective and Response over the Past 25 Years. Generations 24(2):6–12.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wolf, Rosalie S. and Karl A. Pillemer. 1989. Helping Elderly Victims: The Reality of Elder Abuse. New York: Columbia University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • World Health Organization. 2010. Abuse of the Elderly. Chapter 5. World Health Report on Violence and Health. Retrieved on February 17, 2010 (http://www.who.int/violence_injury_prevention/violence/global_campaign/en/chap5.pdf).

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Family and Consumer Studies, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA

    Sonia Salari

Authors
  1. Sonia Salari
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sonia Salari .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Human Development and Family Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, 97331-2302, Oregon, USA

    Richard A. Settersten

  2. Dept. Sociology, University of Texas, Austin, University Station 1, Austin, 78712, Texas, USA

    Jacqueline L. Angel

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2011 Springer New York

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Salari, S. (2011). Elder Mistreatment. In: Settersten, R., Angel, J. (eds) Handbook of Sociology of Aging. Handbooks of Sociology and Social Research. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-7374-0_26

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation