ABSTRACT
The elderly population has captured interest from many quarters for a number of reasons. This chapter explores some of those reasons. They include demographic changes in the population, political action, and social consciousness. The chapter talks about age patterns in victimization statistics, and discusses the objective and the subjective odds of elder victimization. It explains what is meant by the fear–crime paradox and the role of Adult Protective Services (APS). The chapter distinguishes risk from vulnerability, and compares elder abuse with elder neglect. It estimates how much elder maltreatment takes place, discusses the extent and causes of institutional elder abuse, and evaluates whether mandatory abuse reporting laws are effective. The theories of elder maltreatment includes: Intra-individual sources, situational aspects, symbolic interactionism, social exchange, and social attitudes. Elder maltreatment, however, is still a relatively new problem for the criminal justice system.
