NCJ Number
145891
Journal
Journal of Elder Abuse and Neglect Volume: 5 Issue: 1 Dated: (1993) Pages: 41-56
Date Published
1993
Length
16 pages
Annotation
This article describes the actions taken by the Massachusetts Attorney General to counter abuse of the elderly in the State.
Abstract
There are four major elements in the Attorney General's plan. First, prosecutors throughout the State are giving high priority to the prosecution of traditional crimes against the elderly. This includes seeking enhanced charges and penalties. Second, the Attorney General created a special unit to investigate and prosecute financial crimes, since senior citizens are more likely than other age groups to be victimized by scams, fraud, and other economic crimes. The third major component of the Attorney General's plan is a prosecutorial response to abuse of elderly persons within the family. Such prosecution intends to elevate such abuse to the status of a serious crime and increase professional response to the problem. The fourth major component of the Attorney General's plan involves multidisciplinary coordination of responses and training as well as crime prevention and education. This article describes elements of these four major components and identifies some causes of victimization of the elderly.