Definitions of Elder Abuse in an Italian Sample

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this exploratory qualitative study was to analyze definitions of elder abuse in an Italian convenience sample. Fifty-three Italian participants (15 males, 38 females) provided examples of mild, moderate, and extreme mistreatment of older individuals by their adult children. Analyses were conducted to identify frequently mentioned types of abuse and to determine how severe they were judged to be. Also examined was the extent to which gender and age contributed to response patterns. Most examples of extreme elder abuse made reference to physical abuse and neglect, while references to psychological aggression and neglect predominated as examples of moderate and mild abuse. Examples of neglect appeared with equal frequency at all levels of severity, but physical aggression was mentioned primarily as a form of extreme abuse, and psychological aggression was mentioned more frequently in examples of moderate and mild abuse. The most frequently identified types of specific abuse were abandonment, verbal abuse, emotional abuse, and psychological neglect. When giving examples of extreme abuse, females mentioned more instances of financial exploitation than males. They also gave more examples of verbal aggression and lack of respect as instances of moderate abuse and behaviors reflecting power or control as examples of mild abuse. A statistically significant negative relationship was found between age and the number of examples given of particular types of mistreatment at each of the levels of severity of abuse.     

Perspectives on elder abuse in Greece

The sample for this exploratory qualitative study of Greek perceptions of elder abuse consisted of 43 Greek participants from urban centers and 28 Greeks from a small island village. Participants were asked to provide examples of extreme, moderate, and mild abuse from an adult child toward his/her aging parent. Half of the examples of extreme abuse were various forms of physical aggression. Predominant examples of moderate abuse were psychological abuse and neglect, and at the mild level neglect was the most highly cited category. The most frequently mentioned specific types of elder mistreatment were verbal abuse, psychological neglect, physical neglect, and hitting. There were no gender differences in the kinds of examples that participants gave or the severity they attributed to their examples. Females were more often presented as victims of abuse than males. A negative correlation was found between age and the number of physical abuse examples given overall, and as types of severe abuse.     

English perceptions of elder abuse

The purpose of this exploratory study was to investigate an English sample's perceptions on elder abuse, inflicted by adult children against their aging parents. Fifty participants (14 males, 46 females) provided examples of extreme, moderate, and mild elder abuse. As examples of extreme abuse, most participants mentioned neglect and physical aggression. Various forms of neglect and psychological abuse were their most common examples of moderate and mild abuse. References to physical aggression appeared most often as examples of extreme abuse rather than of moderate or mild abuse. Within these main categories, the specific subtypes most frequently mentioned by the sample included physical neglect, psychological neglect, verbal abuse, and deprivation. More females than males provided examples of financial abuse and physical neglect. Females were also more likely than males to list psychological neglect as an extreme form of abuse and disrespect as a form of mild abuse. At the moderate level, males referred to abuse relating to power more often than females. A positive relationship was found between age and the number of examples of physical neglect given at the moderate level and the number of examples of emotional abuse given at the mild level.     

S 333 IS–108th Congress, 1st Session: To Promote Elder Justice,and for Other Purposes

ABSTRACT

The sample for this exploratory qualitative study of Greek perceptions of elder abuse consisted of 43 Greek participants from urban centers and 28 Greeks from a small island village. Participants were asked to provide examples of extreme, moderate, and mild abuse from an adult child toward his/her aging parent. Half of the examples of extreme abuse were various forms of physical aggression. Predominant examples of moderate abuse were psychological abuse and neglect, and at the mild level neglect was the most highly cited category. The most frequently mentioned specific types of elder mistreatment were verbal abuse, psychological neglect, physical neglect, and hitting. There were no gender differences in the kinds of examples that participants gave or the severity they attributed to their examples. Females were more often presented as victims of abuse than males. A negative correlation was found between age and the number of physical abuse examples given overall, and as types of severe abuse.     

Senator Breaux's Elder Justice Proposal of 2002 Executive Summary

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this exploratory study was to investigate an English sample's perceptions on elder abuse, inflicted by adult children against their aging parents. Fifty participants (14 males, 46 females) provided examples of extreme, moderate, and mild elder abuse. As examples of extreme abuse, most participants mentioned neglect and physical aggression. Various forms of neglect and psychological abuse were their most common examples of moderate and mild abuse. References to physical aggression appeared most often as examples of extreme abuse rather than of moderate or mild abuse. Within these main categories, the specific subtypes most frequently mentioned by the sample included physical neglect, psychological neglect, verbal abuse, and deprivation. More females than males provided examples of financial abuse and physical neglect. Females were also more likely than males to list psychological neglect as an extreme form of abuse and disrespect as a form of mild abuse. At the moderate level, males referred to abuse relating to power more often than females. A positive relationship was found between age and the number of examples of physical neglect given at the moderate level and the number of examples of emotional abuse given at the mild level.     

Turkey: a pilot study of elder mistreatment in a convenience sample

Attitudes towards elder abuse were explored through a survey on International Perspectives on Family Violence and Abuse in a Turkish convenience sample of 25 females and 14 males, ranging in age from 22 to 58. Participants gave examples of behaviors considered in their culture to be extremely abusive, moderately abusive, and mildly abusive from an adult child toward his or her older parent. Responses were coded into four major categories of abuse, each of which had several subcategories: psychological aggression (including the subcategories of verbal aggression, emotional abuse, disrespect, disobedience, power assertion, blame, and imprisonment), neglect (including physical neglect, psychological neglect, abandonment, and putting the older individual into a nursing home), physical aggression (including beating and hitting), and mistreatment related to goods and services (including economic demands, economic withholding, and labor). The most common examples of extreme abuse were neglect, particulary physical neglect, followed by physical abuse. At the moderate and mild levels, various forms of psychological aggression were most commonly mentioned. The only significant gender difference was that men listed more instances of verbal aggression as examples of extreme abuse than women. A positive correlation was found between age and the number of abandonment examples at the extreme level. Results were interpreted from a cultural perspective.     

Russian perspectives on elder abuse: an exploratory study

The purpose of this exploratory study was to analyze Russian perceptions of elder abuse as reflected in their examples of abusive behavior from an adult child to an aging parent. Also of interest was the possibility of gender differences in the Russian perspectives on elder abuse. The convenience sample consisted of 21 Russian participants (10 males, 10 females, and one without gender identified), who provided examples of extreme, moderate, and mild abuse from an adult child towards an aging parent. Most examples of extreme abuse were forms of physical violence. Typical examples of moderate abuse were instances of psychological aggression-particularly verbal aggression-and neglect. The most common examples of mild abuse were verbal aggression and neglect. One-way analyses of variance revealed statistically significant gender differences in the number of references to psychological aggression in general and to verbal aggression in particular in the examples of moderate abuse, with females giving more examples than males.     

Russian Perspectives on Elder Abuse: An Exploratory Study

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this exploratory study was to analyze Russian perceptions of elder abuse as reflected in their examples of abusive behavior from an adult child to an aging parent. Also of interest was the possibility of gender differences in the Russian perspectives on elder abuse. The convenience sample consisted of 21 Russian participants (10 males, 10 females, and one without gender identified), who provided examples of extreme, moderate, and mild abuse from an adult child towards an aging parent. Most examples of extreme abuse were forms of physical violence. Typical examples of moderate abuse were instances of psychological aggression–particularly verbal aggression–and neglect. The most common examples of mild abuse were verbal aggression and neglect. One-way analyses of variance revealed statistically significant gender differences in the number of references to psychological aggression in general and to verbal aggression in particular in the examples of moderate abuse, with females giving more examples than males.     

Implicit theories of elder abuse in a sample of European-American descent

The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine implicit theories of elder abuse in a sample of men and women of European-American descent. Seventy-six participants, ranging in age from 17 to 79, filled out an open-ended qualitative survey asking them to give examples of behaviors considered in their culture to be extremely abusive, moderately abusive, and mildly abusive in the context of an adult child-older adult parent dyad. Results indicated that various types of physical aggression and neglect (with an emphasis on physical neglect) were the most common examples of extreme abuse. Psychological aggression was the most common example of moderate abuse, and forms of psychological abuse and neglect were the most frequent examples of mild abuse. Gender differences were found, with females more often mentioning examples of neglect than males. Sexual and economic abuse did not seem to be commonly identified forms of mistreatment in implicit theories of elder abuse.     

Turkey: A Pilot Study of Elder Mistreatment in a Convenience Sample

ABSTRACT

Attitudes towards elder abuse were explored through a survey on International Perspectives on Family Violence and Abuse in a Turkish convenience sample of 25 females and 14 males, ranging in age from 22 to 58. Participants gave examples of behaviors considered in their culture to be extremely abusive, moderately abusive, and mildly abusive from an adult child toward his or her older parent. Responses were coded into four major categories of abuse, each of which had several subcategories: psychological aggression (including the subcategories of verbal aggression, emotional abuse, disrespect, disobedience, power assertion, blame, and imprisonment), neglect (including physical neglect, psychological neglect, abandonment, and putting the older individual into a nursing home), physical aggression (including beating and hitting), and mistreatment related to goods and services (including economic demands, economic withholding, and labor). The most common examples of extreme abuse were neglect, particulary physical neglect, followed by physical abuse. At the moderate and mild levels, various forms of psychological aggression were most commonly mentioned. The only significant gender difference was that men listed more instances of verbal aggression as examples of extreme abuse than women. A positive correlation was found between age and the number of abandonment examples at the extreme level. Results were interpreted from a cultural perspective.     

Implicit Theories of Elder Abuse in a Sample of European-American Descent

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine implicit theories of elder abuse in a sample of men and women of European-American descent. Seventy-six participants, ranging in age from 17 to 79, filled out an open-ended qualitative survey asking them to give examples of behaviors considered in their culture to be extremely abusive, moderately abusive, and mildly abusive in the context of an adult child-older adult parent dyad. Results indicated that various types of physical aggression and neglect (with an emphasis on physical neglect) were the most common examples of extreme abuse. Psychological aggression was the most common example of moderate abuse, and forms of psychological abuse and neglect were the most frequent examples of mild abuse. Gender differences were found, with females more often mentioning examples of neglect than males. Sexual and economic abuse did not seem to be commonly identified forms of mistreatment in implicit theories of elder abuse.     

Cultural definitions of elder maltreatment in Portugal

A small convenience sample of 34 participants (17 males, 17 females) from the Portuguese islands of the Azores and Madeira were asked to provide examples of how extreme, moderate, and mild maltreatment towards an elder would be defined in their culture and society. Neglect, especially psychological neglect, physical maltreatment, and psychological maltreatment were the most frequently reported types of maltreatment. References to neglect and physical maltreatment appeared most often as examples of extreme maltreatment. In general, men were somewhat more likely than women to provide examples of physical aggression in their examples of maltreatment. As examples of extreme maltreatment, females provided significantly more examples of abandonment than males. Although interpretations of the findings must be cautious because of the small sample size and limited statistical power, the study illustrates a procedure for assessing constructs of elder mistreatment in a way that attends to respondents' own constructions of the phenomenon.     

Cultural Definitions of Elder Maltreatment in Portugal

ABSTRACT

A small convenience sample of 34 participants (17 males, 17 females) from the Portuguese islands of the Azores and Madeira were asked to provide examples of how extreme, moderate, and mild maltreatment towards an elder would be defined in their culture and society. Neglect, especially psychological neglect, physical maltreatment, and psychological maltreatment were the most frequently reported types of maltreatment. References to neglect and physical maltreatment appeared most often as examples of extreme maltreatment. In general, men were somewhat more likely than women to provide examples of physical aggression in their examples of maltreatment. As examples of extreme maltreatment, females provided significantly more examples of abandonment than males. Although interpretations of the findings must be cautious because of the small sample size and limited statistical power, the study illustrates a procedure for assessing constructs of elder mistreatment in a way that attends to respondents' own constructions of the phenomenon.     

Risk Indicators of Elder Mistreatment in the Community

ABSTRACT

This study examined risk indicators of chronic verbal aggression, physical aggression, and financial mistreatment in a population-based sample of 1,797 independently living elderly in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Included were socio-demographic characteristics, physical and psychological health, and functional capacity. The data were collected using standardized interviews that took place in the homes of the respondents. The results showed that chronic verbal aggression was associated with an elder living with a partner or other(s) and in poor or bad health. Physical aggression was associated with an elder living with a partner or other(s) and having depressive symptoms. Finally, financial mistreatment was associated with being male, living alone, being partially dependent in instrumental activities of daily living and having depressive symptoms. The results indicate that the risk indicators of victims of financial mistreatment differ from those of chronic verbal aggression and physical aggression, suggesting that financial mistreatment may occur more often as a single form of abuse whereas verbal and physical aggression may more frequently occur together.     

Mistreatment of Older People in the United Kingdom: Findings from the First National Prevalence Study

There have been few national studies of the prevalence of elder mistreatment (abuse and neglect) in private households. This article provides an overview of the UK National Prevalence Study of Elder Mistreatment that took place in 2006. It addressed 2,111 respondents in four countries who answered a face-to-face survey questionnaire. The achieved sample was weighted to be representative of the UK older population. Of respondents, 2.6% reported mistreatment by family members, close friends, or care workers. The predominant type of reported mistreatment was neglect (1.1%) followed by financial abuse (0.6%), with 0.4% of respondents reporting psychological abuse, 0.4% physical abuse, and 0.2% sexual abuse. Women were significantly more likely to have experienced mistreatment than men, but there were gender differences according to type of abuse and perpetrator characteristics. Divergent patterns were found for neglect, financial, and interpersonal abuse. Further analysis of the data indicated that the likelihood of mistreatment varied with socioeconomic position and health status.     

Definitions and indicators of elder abuse: a delphi survey of APS caseworkers

Instruments designed to measure specific types of elder mistreatment are not available, but they may be warranted after an initial screen indicates abuse or risk for abuse. The purpose of this study was to evaluate definitions for different types of elder mistreatment and validate the indicators as perceived by adult protective services (APS) caseworkers' opinions. Through 351 APS research network participants, a Delphi survey was completed. A 45% return rate was achieved for round one and 40% for round two with 70 same respondents from both rounds. These types of abuse, emotional abuse, exploitation of finances and/or property, neglect, physical abuse, and sexual abuse, have some similar and some extremely different indicators that singly and together expand their definition. Instruments to measure five different types of abuse are offered for caseworker or prevalence study use.     

Analyses of the Concepts of Elder Mistreatment:

The lack of precise and accepted definitions of elder neglect and elder abuse impairs identification of these two distinct but related forms of elder mistreatment and prevents systematic comparison of research findings. As professional attention to elder mistreatment is relatively new, continued progress in various areas is warranted-research, theory development, diagnostic instruments, and prevention and treatment strategies. First, however, some degree of definitional precision and consensus needs to be established. This paper critically examines the current research definitions of elder neglect and abuse and offers suggestions for future progress on this foundational issue.     

Elder mistreatment in urban India: a community based study

This study examined the extent and correlates of elder mistreatment among 400 community dwelling older adults aged 65 and above in Chennai, India. The prevalence rate of mistreatment was 14%. Chronic verbal abuse was the most common followed by financial abuse and the rate of physical abuse and neglect was similar. Among the mistreated, exactly half of them had experienced more than one type of mistreatment (multifaceted-mistreatment). With the exception of financial abuse, a significantly greater number of women experienced verbal and physical abuse as well as neglect compared to men. Adult children, daughters-in-law, spouses, and sons-in-law were the prominent perpetrators. The mistreated older adults were more depressed and less satisfied with life than those who were not mistreated. Logistic regression analysis revealed gender, social support, and subjective rating of physical health as significant factors associated with abuse.     

Note From Iran: Self-Reported Elder Abuse in Qazvin, 2012

This brief report provides a first look at self-reported instances of elder abuse by a sample of people 60 years and older living in Qazvin, Iran. Six hundred community-dwelling persons, drawn from the registry files of each health center in Qazin, completed questionnaires during April to October 2012. At least 80% of the participants reported experiencing some form of psychological abuse, financial abuse, and/or neglect at least once during a 2-month period. Physical and sexual abuse were rarely reported. Despite a strong Iranian cultural emphasis on respect for elders, the self-reporting of elder abuse, especially psychological abuse, is greater than our expectation. We recommend that health-related policies and programs begin to identify elder abuse and neglect as a first step in prevention.     

What Is “Elder Abuse”? Voices From the Margin: The Views of Underrepresented Canadian Older Adults

We know relatively little about the definitions and perceptions of elder abuse held by marginalized groups of older adults in Canada. The current study used focus group methodology to explore perceptions of elder abuse among marginalized groups such as Aboriginal persons, immigrants, refugees, and lesbians. We found both similarities and differences in perceptions of elder abuse across groups. Groups identified traditional forms of elder abuse (i.e., physical, sexual, psychological/emotional, financial abuse, and neglect) as well as less frequently identified types of abuse such as disrespect and government or systemic abuse. Groups also discussed issues related to immigrant sponsorship arrangements and abuse in nursing homes.