This article cites statistics that estimate the percentage of older persons being abused ranges from 4 to 10 percent. That proportion is likely to rise as families continue to be the primary source of care for the dependent elderly and as the number of persons surviving to old age also increases. The research on elder abuse suffers from several conceptual and methodological issues including definitional problems, differing research methodologies, and the use of nonrandom sampling procedures. General theories of elder abuse range from the intergenerational transmission of violence to psychopathology, dependency, and familial stress. The author offers policy recommendations relating to a broadened research agenda, evaluation research, establishment of local shelters, provision of services to caretakers, family counseling, and increased awareness of service providers. 1 table and 44 references