Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t7fkt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-02T22:01:03.178Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Perceived Effectiveness of Legislation Concerning Abuse of the Elderly: A Survey of Professionals in Canada and the United States

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 November 2010

John B. Bond Jr ,
Roland L. Penner  and
Penny Yellen
John B. Bond Jr
Affiliation:
University of Manitoba
Roland L. Penner
Affiliation:
University of Manitoba
Penny Yellen
Affiliation:
Elder Abuse Resource Centre
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

A survey on abuse of the elderly was mailed to 174 Canadian and American professionals who were identified as persons likely to be involved with cases of elder abuse. Neglect was the most commonly reported type of abuse, followed by financial and psychological abuse. Physical abuse constituted the smallest number of cases. While various family relationships were reported, middle-aged sons were the most common abusers, while older mothers were most frequently the victim. Regardless of the legislative approach taken, laws were reported to be generally effective. Greatest concerns were expressed regarding the lack of funds to administer and provide services to abused seniors.

Résumé

Un sondage sur l'abus et les mauvais traitements faits aux personnes âgées a été posté à 174 professionnels canadiens et américains susceptibles de compter parmi leur clientèle des victimes d'abus. La négligence représentait la forme la plus courante de mauvais traitements, suivi par l'abus sur le plan financier et les mauvais traitements sur le plan psychologique. La violence physique constituait le plus petit nombre de cas signalés. Même si diverses relations de famille ont été décrites, les fils d'âge moyen représentaient la plus large proportion de personnes responsables d'un comportement abusif, alors que les mères âgées représentaient les victimes les plus fréquentes. Peu importe les lois établies, les répondants ont déclaré que celles-ci étaient généralement efficaces. Le manque de fonds pour administrer les lois et offrir des services aux personnes âgées victimes d'abus représentait la question qui préoccupait le plus les répondants.

Keywords

LawsVictimizationPolicy.Loisreprésaillespolitique.
Type
Articles
Information
Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement , Volume 14 , supplement S2 , Été/Summer 1995 , pp. 118 - 135
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Association on Gerontology 1995

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Callahan, J.J. Jr, (1988). Elder abuse: Some questions for policymakers. The Gerontologist, 20, 453–458.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Carbonell, B. (1992). A harvest yet to reap: A report of elder abuse legislation in Canada. Unpublished manuscript, Legal Research Institute, Faculty of Law, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba.Google Scholar
Cash, T., & Valentine, D. (1987). A decade of adult protective services: Case characteristics. Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 10(3/4), 47–60.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Crystal, S. (1987). Elder abuse: The latest “crisis”. Public Interest, 88, 56–66.Google Scholar
Daniels, R.S., Baumhover, L.A., & Clark-Daniels, C.L. (1989). Physicians' mandatory reporting of elder abuse. The Gerontologist, 29, 321–327.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Eisenberg, H.B. (1991). Combatting elder abuse through the legal process. Journal of Elder Abuse and Neglect, 3(1), 65–96.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Evans, J., Gordon, R., & Rozovsky, F. (1988). In Calver, J.G. & Smith, C. (Eds.), Family violence: Challenge for change (pp. 99–116). Fredericton, NB: Muriel McQueen Ferguson Foundation.Google Scholar
Faulkner, L.R. (1982). Mandating the reporting of suspected cases of elder abuse: An inappropriate, ineffective and ageist response to the abuse of older adults. Family Law Quarterly, 16, 69–91.Google Scholar
Fredriksen, K.I. (1989). Adult protective services: Changes with the introduction of mandatory reporting. Journal of Elder Abuse and Neglect, 1(2), 59–70.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
General Accounting Office. (1991). Elder abuse: Effectiveness of reporting laws and other factors (GAO/HRD-91–74). Washington, DC: General Accounting Office.Google Scholar
Gordon, R., & Tomita, S. (1990, December). The reporting of elder abuse and neglect: Mandatory or voluntary. Canada's Mental Health, pp. 1–6.Google Scholar
Gordon, R., & Verdun-Jones, S.N. (1992). Adult guardianship law in Canada. Toronto: Carswell Thomson Professional Publishing.Google Scholar
Heisler, C.J. (1991). The role of the criminal justice system in elder abuse cases. Journal of Elder Abuse and Neglect, 3(1), 5–33.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Johnson, T.F. (1991). Elder mistreatment: Deciding who is at Risk. Westport: Greenwood Press.Google Scholar
Korbin, J.E., Anetzberger, G.J., Thomasson, R., & Austin, C. (1991). Abused elders who seek legal recourse against their adult offspring: Findings from an exploratory study. Journal of Elder Abuse and Neglect, 3(3), 1–18.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McDonald, P.L., Hornick, J.P., Robertson, G.B., & Wallace, J.E. (1991). Elder abuse and neglect in Canada. Toronto: Butterworths.Google Scholar
Moore, T., & Thompson, V. (1987). Elder abuse: A review of research, programmes and policy. The Social Worker, 55, 115–122.Google Scholar
Olinger, J.P. (1991). Elder abuse: The outlook for federal legislation. Journal of Elder Abuse and Neglect, 31(1), 43–52.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Overman, W.H. (1991). Preventing elder abuse and neglect through advance legal planning. Journal of Elder Abuse and Neglect, 3(4), 5–21.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pillemer, K., & Finkelhor, D. (1988). The prevalence of elder abuse: A random sample survey. The Gerontologist, 28, 51–57.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Podnieks, E. (1985). Elder abuse: It's time we did something about it. The Canadian Nurse, 81, 36–39.Google Scholar
Podnieks, E., Pillemer, K., Nicholson, J.P., Shillington, T., & Frizzell, A. (1989). National survey on abuse of the elderly in Canada: Preliminary Findings. Toronto: Ryerson Polytechnical Institute.Google Scholar
Poertner, J. (1986). Estimating the incidence of abused older persons. Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 9(3), 3–15.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Salend, E., Kane, R.A., Satz, M., & Pynoos, J. (1984). Elder abuse reporting: Limitations on statutes. The Gerontologist, 24, 61–67.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Schene, P., & Ward, S.F. (1988). The relevance of the child protection experience. Public Welfare, 46(2), 14–21.Google Scholar
Sengstock, M.C., & Barrett, S. (1986). Elderly victims of family abuse, neglect, and maltreatment: Can legal assistance help? Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 9, 43–61.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sengstock, M.C., & Hwalek, M. (1986). Domestic abuse of the elderly: Which cases involve the police? Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 1, 335–349.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Thornton, J.E., & MacDougall, D.J. (1990). Law and legal services for an aging population. Vancouver: Committee on Gerontology, University of British Columbia.Google Scholar
Wigdor, B.T. (1991). Elder abuse: Major issues from a national perspective. Ottawa: National Advisory Council on Aging.Google Scholar
Wolf, R.S. (1988a). The evolution of policy: A 10-year retrospective. Public Welfare, 46(2), 7–44.Google Scholar
Wolf, R.S. (1988b). Elder abuse: Ten years later. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 38, 758–762.CrossRefGoogle Scholar