Abused Elders : Victims of Villains or of Circumstances? / Mary C. Sengstock and Others.

Theorists have suggested that domestic abuse may be a result of psychopathology in the abuser or the result of severe stress. To determine whether the families of aged victims exhibit an inordinate number of stressful situations, 20 elderly abuse victims were interviewed about family relationships and problems, and completed a modified version of the Social Readjustment Rating Scale as a measure of stress. Results showed that the most common type of abuse was psychological. Physical abuse was reported by one-fourth of the victims, while 10 percent suffered physical neglect, and one-half suffered financial abuse. In over half of the cases, the abuser was a son or daughter. The victims came from settings with a large number of problems and serious stresses, including the death or illness of a friend or family member, gain of a new family member, a change in finances, or poor health. Most victims defined their most serious family problems in terms other than direct abuse. This may represent denial or resignation, or a recognition that the abuse is one portion of the greater difficulties they and their families feel. Results are compared to a Justice and Justice (1976) study of parents of abused children. (JAC)

Microfiche. [Washington D.C.]: ERIC Clearinghouse microfiches : positive.