Note No. 5709
25 February 2002
ABUSE OF OLDER PERSONS GOES LARGELY UNNOTICED, ACCORDING TO
SECRETARY-GENERAL’S
REPORT TO BE LAUNCHED TUESDAY, 26 FEBRUARY
Physical, sexual and emotional abuse of older persons, as well as their
financial exploitation, commonly go unnoticed and unreported, with only the
most severe cases commanding attention, according to a new report by the
Secretary-General to be launched at a press conference at 11 a.m. on Tuesday,
26 February. The report emphasizes the
need for global action to combat these serious violations of the human rights
of older persons.
While global statistics are sorely lacking, and the domestic abuse of older
persons in particular is grossly under-reported, a number of studies have been
conducted at the national level.
Perpetrators of violence and abuse against older persons, studies show, are
more often than not family members, friends and acquaintances. However, abusers can also include strangers
who prey on older persons and commercial organizations that defraud older
clients.
In the United States, a study by the National Center on Elder Abuse noted a
150 per cent increase in incidents of abuse between 1986 and 1996. The study showed that perpetrators of the
abuse were most frequently adult children (37 per cent), followed by
spouses (13 per cent) and other family members (11 per cent).
In Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom, surveys show that 3 to
10 per cent of older persons have been reported to be abused or
neglected. In Argentina, 45 per cent of
an urban sample of older persons reported mistreatment, with psychological
abuse the most frequent form.
A study of abuse in institutional settings in the United States found that
10 per cent of nursing staff admitted to having committed at least one act of
physical abuse of an older person, while 36 per cent had witnessed such an
incident. Forty per cent of staff
admitted to having verbally abused a resident in the preceding 12 months, while
81 per cent reported to have observed psychological abuse.
While statistical data is particularly limited for developing countries,
non-statistical sources such as criminal records, media reports and small-scale
studies show that abuse of older persons is a widespread problem. “Scapegoating”, for instance, occurs when
older people, usually women, are blamed for ills befalling the community,
including drought, flood or epidemic deaths.
Incidents
have been
reported where women have been ostracized, tortured, maimed or even kiiled if
they failed to flee the community.
In many cases, older persons are vulnerable to abuse because of their dependency on others. Individuals at high risk are often mentally or physically impaired due to conditions such as dementia or disability. Other risk factors include poverty, childlessness, living alone and social isolation. Motivation by older persons to conceal mistreatment include fear of institutionalization, fear of retaliation, desire to protect the abuser from the consequences of their acts, shame and embarrasment, as well as the victim’s perception that the abuse is expected or deserved.
The report stresses the need for futher studies and suggests ways to respond to the problem, including increased awareness and education, improved legislation, and establishment of intervention and prevention programmes.
The report of the Secretary-General and a
backgrounder on elder abuse will be available at the press conference on 26
February. For further information or to
arrange interviews, contact Ellen McCuffie, tel: (212) 963-0499, or Laufey
Love, tel: (212) 963-3507, of the United
Nations Department of
Public Information.
For information on the Second World Assembly on
Ageing, please visit www.un.org/ageing.
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