NCJ Number
220385
Date Published
March 2007
Length
21 pages
Annotation
This report examines the nature and prevalance of violent and property crimes against seniors.
Abstract
According to the 2004 General Social Survey (GSS), most seniors know their attacker. The most common attackers of seniors were their adult children (35 percent) and current or previous spouse (31 percent). Violent incidents against seniors do not typically result in injuries or involve a weapon. Seniors experience the lowest levels of violent and property crimes compared to their younger counterparts. Another survey by Canada’s anti-fraud call center PhoneBusters suggests that seniors may be more vulnerable to telemarketing fraud. The findings show that seniors’ level of satisfaction with their overall personal safety has improved over the last 5 years. The study was conducted because Canada's older population will double within the next 25 years due to aging baby boomer, low fertility rates, and an increase in life expectancy. As a result, there is a need for Canada to quantify and understand the extent and nature of the victimization of older adults. The data came from self-reported victims and police-reported surveys. Violence against seniors was measured by two data sources: police-reported crime data from the incident-based Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR2) Survey and self-reported victim data from the GSS. The survey was done in 2004, and the target population was persons 15 years of age and older. The sample size was 24,000 households across the provinces. Bibliography, notes