NCJ Number
143717
Journal
Royal Canadian Mounted Police Gazette Volume: 55 Issue: 6 Dated: (1993) Pages: 17-20
Date Published
1993
Length
4 pages
Annotation
In 1992, in response to growing community interest in the area of elder abuse, the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary (RNC) began to develop a community education program.
Abstract
The program includes a detailed presentation of the elder abuse problem and defines parameters of the problem to indicate what constitutes elder abuse, where it occurs, and types of abuse. In addition, the program incorporates Criminal Code of Canada considerations, statistics, studies of elder abuse, theories of abuse causation, offender and victim profiles, and reasons why abuse of the elderly goes unreported. The role of the RNC in abuse prevention is also covered by the program, and investigative procedures are described to aid the police when they respond to complaints of elder abuse. Specific methods of dealing with senior citizens who have vision or hearing impairments are noted, and the occurrence of institutional abuse is examined. The author believes that community awareness and citizen empowerment are essential in reducing abuse of the elderly.