Abuse of the elderly.

The abuse of older people by family members dates back to ancient times. Until the advent of initiatives to address child abuse and domestic violence in the last quarter of the 20th century it remained a private matter hidden from public view. Initially seen as a social welfare issue and subsequently a problem of ageing abuse of the elderly like other forms of family violence has developed into a public health and criminal justice concern. These two fields – public health and criminal justice – have therefore dictated to a large extent how abuse of the elderly is viewed how it is analysed and how it is dealt with. This chapter focuses on abuse of older people by family members or others known to them either in their homes or in residential or other institutional settings. It does not cover other types of violence that may be directed at older people such as violence by strangers street crime gang warfare or military conflict. (excerpt)