Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-8ctnn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-23T20:32:45.005Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Risk Factors for Abuse and Neglect among Older Adults

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 November 2010

Elizabeth Dow Pittaway ,
Anne Westhues  and
Tracy Peressini
Elizabeth Dow Pittaway
Affiliation:
University of Victoria
Anne Westhues
Affiliation:
Wilfrid Laurier University
Tracy Peressini
Affiliation:
University of Toronto
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

This research presents risk factors for abuse and neglect among older adults who accessed health and social service organizations in London, Ontario, 1991. The paper reviews four theoretical perspectives on elder abuse and neglect: the situational model, social exchange theory, symbolic interactionism and a feminist model. Risk factors for physical abuse, chronic verbal abuse, material abuse and neglect were identified for each theoretical model. Each set of risk factors was regressed on each type of abuse in order to determine the efficacy of the theoretical models. The data suggest that the risk factors associated with the situational and feminist model(s) provide the best fit in terms of physical abuse; the symbolic interaction model explains the most variance in chronic verbal abuse; both the symbolic interaction and feminist models explain about the same amount of variance in neglect; and none of the theoretical models adequately explains the variance in material abuse.

Résumé

Cette recherche présente les facteurs de risque d'abus et de mauvais traitements chez les personnes âgées qui ont fait appel à des organismes sociaux et de santé à London, en Ontario, en 1991. L'article passe en revue quatre points de vue théoriques sur l'abus et les mauvais traitements à l'égard des aînés, soit le modèle de situation, la théorie d'échange social, la théorie d'interaction symbolique et le modèle féministe. Les facteurs de risque de violence physique, de violence verbale chronique, d'abus matériel et de négligence ont été identifiés pour chaque modèle théorique. Chaque ensemble de facteurs de risque a été régressé sur chaque type de mauvais traitement afin de déterminer l'efficacité des modèles théoriques. Les données suggèrent que les facteurs de risque associés aux modèles de situation et féministe offrent la meilleure mesure en ce qui touche la violence physique; le modèle d'interaction symbolique explique plus de la variance de la violence verbale chronique; et les modèles d'interaction symbolique et féministe expliquent la même quantité de variance de la négligence. Aucun des modèles théoriques n'expliquent adéquatement les variances de l'abus matériel.

Keywords

AbuseNeglectRisk FactorsTheory.Abusnégligencefacteurs de risquethéorie.
Type
Articles
Information
Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement , Volume 14 , supplement S2 , Été/Summer 1995 , pp. 20 - 44
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Association on Gerontology 1995

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Bendik, M. (1992). Reaching the breaking point: dangers of mistreatment in elder caregiving situations. Journal of Elder Abuse & Neglect, 4(3) 39–59.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Block, M.R., & Sinnott, J.D. (1979). The Battered Elder Syndrome: An Exploratory Study. College Park, MD: University of Maryland, Center on Aging.Google Scholar
Bristowe, E. (1987). Family Mediated Abuse of Non-Institutionalized Frail Elderly Men and Women Living in British Columbia. Paper presented at the Third National Conference for Family Violence Researchers, Durham, N.H. July as cited in Podnieks, E. (1990).Google Scholar
Bristowe, E., & Collins, J.B. (1989). Family mediated abuse of noninstitutionalized frail elderly men and women living in British Columbia. Journal of Elder Abuse & Neglect, 1(1) 4564.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Butler, R. (1969). Ageism: Another form of bigotry. The Gerontologist, 9(3) 243–246.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Chen, P.N., Bell, S., Dolinsky, D., Doyle, J., & Dunn, M. (1981). Elderly Abuse in Domestic Settings: A Pilot Study. Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 4, 3–17.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Crouse, J.S., Cobb, D.C., Harris, B.B., Kopecky, F.J., & Poertner, J. (1981). Abuse and Neglect of the Elderly in Illinois: Incidence and Characteristics, Legislation and Policy Recommendations. State of Illinois, Department of Aging.Google Scholar
Fulmer, T.T. (1990). Debate over dependency as a relevant predisposing factor in elder abuse and neglect. Journal of Elder Abuse & Neglect, 2(1–2), 51–71.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Garbarino, J. (1977). The human ecology of child maltreatment: A conceptual model for research. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 39, 721–735.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jaffe, P.G., Wolfe, D.A., & Wilson, S.K. (1990). Children of Battered Women. Newbury Park: Sage Publications, Inc.Google Scholar
Johnson, T.F., O'Brien, J.G., & Hudson, M.E. (1985). Elder Neglect and Abuse: An Annotated Bibliography. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.Google Scholar
Kivela, S.L., Kongas, S.P., Kesti, E., Pahkala, K., & Ijas, M.L. (1992). Abuse in old age: epidemiological data from Finland. Journal of Elder Abuse & Neglect, 4(3), 1–18.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kosberg, J.I. (1988). Preventing elder abuse: Identification of high risk factors prior to placement decisions. The Gerontologist, 28(1), 43–50.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McDaniel, S.A. (1986). Canada's Aging Population. Toronto: Butterworths.Google Scholar
McDonald, L., Hornick, J.P., Robertson, G.B., & Wallace, J.E. (1991). Elder Abuse and Neglect in Canada. Markham, ON: Butterworths.Google Scholar
McPherson, B.D. (1990). Aging as a Social Process (Second edition). Toronto: Butterworths.Google Scholar
Pillemer, K.A. (1986). Risk factors in elder abuse: results from a case-control study. Chapter 10 In Pillemer, K. & Wolf, R. (Eds.), Elder Abuse: Conflict in the Family. Dover, MA: Auburn House Publishing Company.Google Scholar
Pillemer, K., & Wolf, R. (Eds.). (1986). Elder Abuse: Conflict in the Family. Dover, MA: Auburn House Publishing Company.Google Scholar
Pittaway, E.D., & Westhues, A. (1993). The Prevalence of elder abuse and neglect of older adults who access health and social services in London, Ontario, Canada, Journal of Elder Abuse & Neglect, 5(4), 77–93.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Podnieks, E. (1990). National Survey on Abuse of the Elderly in Canada. Ryerson Polytechnical Institute. Ottawa: Health and Welfare Canada.Google Scholar
Pressman, B.M. (1984). Family Violence: Origins and Treatment. Guelph, ON: CAS of the City of Guelph and the County of Wellington.Google Scholar
Quinn, M.J., & Tomita, S.K. (1986). Elder Abuse and Neglect: Causes, Diagnosis, and Intervention Strategies. New York: Springer Publishing Co.Google Scholar
Seligman, M. (1975). Helplessness: On Depression, Development and Death. San Francisco: Freeman.Google Scholar
Statistics Canada. (1991). Population Statistics: Regional Office Telephone Service.Google Scholar
Steinmetz, S.K. (1977). The Cycle of Violence: Assertive, Aggressive and Abusive Family Interaction. New York: PraegerGoogle Scholar
Utech, M.R., & Garrett, R.R. (1992). Elder and child abuse: conceptual and perceptual parallels, Journal of Elder Abuse & Neglect, 7(3), 418–428.Google Scholar
Vinton, L. (1991). Abused older women: battered women or abused elders? Journal of Women and Aging, 3(3), 5–19.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Walker, L. (1984). The Battered Woman Syndrome. New York: Springer.Google Scholar
Wolf, R.S., & Pillemer, K.A. (1989). Helping elderly victims: The reality of elder abuse. New York: Columbia University Press.Google Scholar
Wolf, R.S., Strugnell, C.P., & Godkin, M.A. (1982). Preliminary findings from Three Models Projects on elder abuse. Worcester, MA: University of Massachusetts Medical Center, Center on Aging.Google Scholar