ABSTRACT
The nation of Israel was born out of war and conflict, and has faced war and conflict for most of its relatively short history. Although the great majority of its citizens share a common religion (Judaism), many are refugees and immigrants from countries with diverse experiences and cultures. Despite such differences in origins, the majority of Israelis are fairly traditional in their gender roles, and women’s status is not equal to that of men. Children are very important in Israeli families, and disagreements over childrearing are a major source of conflict between husbands and wives. Both child and wife abuse have been recognized as social problems, and there are mandatory reporting laws for child abuse, and shelters for battered women. There has been some acknowledgment that elder abuse can also be a problem, but as yet, there is little in the way of intervention and prevention services to address elder abuse.
