Abstract
With the passage of time, the concept of elder abuse has undergone various transformations. Initially, abuse and neglect of older adults was viewed in the context of protective services; next, framed as an issue of aging; then, family violence; and, most recently, crime. The multiple terms used to describe the person responsible for the violent act, “caregiver,” “abuser,” “perpetrator,” and “offender,” illustrate the different perspectives. As it turns out, each of the interpretations is more closely associated with one form of elder mistreatment than another (e.g., protective services with neglect) rather than representing an evolutionary process in the definition of the issue. Each provides a framework for intervention. The purpose of this chapter is to present information about perpetrators of elder mistreatment and approaches to intervention. (The word “perpetrator” is used to represent the person who is carrying out the abusive or neglectful action.)
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Wolf, R.S. (1999). Elder Abuse. In: Van Hasselt, V.B., Hersen, M. (eds) Handbook of Psychological Approaches with Violent Offenders. The Plenum Series in Crime and Justice. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-4845-4_18
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