NCJ Number
171568
Date Published
1995
Length
33 pages
Annotation
This chapter provides a critical overview of what is known about violence against and by the elderly in Canada.
Abstract
The data reviewed in this chapter show that elderly involvement in violent criminal events is in sharp contrast with much of what is popularly believed about the issue. The statistical evidence suggests that elderly victimization rates are relatively low, and that although the crimes that victimize the elderly tend to be predatory, they are not particularly violent in either their content or consequences. In addition, claims about the ways in which the concern for personal safety has made the elderly "prisoners of fear" are not consistently supported by the available research. Domestic violence against the elderly also is apparently rare, as is violent offending by the elderly. In the aggregate, the material reviewed in this chapter suggests that violence against and by the elderly is not a significant problem. However, it is important to remember the nature of the social forces, including age segregation and the restricted mobility of older people, that keep these victimization rates low. Similarly, low rates of domestic violence against the elderly reflect, in part, the fact that the elderly are more likely to live alone. Thus, the low rates of the victimization of the elderly may reflect other social problems of the elderly that stem from isolation, lack of transportation, and restricted opportunities for interaction with others. 4 tables and 131 references