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1997-98 Academy Text Supplement

Chapter 18

Elderly Victims of Crime

• According to new data released by the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) in September 1997, persons age 50 or older made up:

• Thirty percent of the population
• Twelve percent of murder victims
• Seven percent of serious violent crime victims.

(Perkins, C. (1997, September). Age Patterns of Victims of Serious Violent Crime: Special Report, NCJ-162031, p. 1. Washington, DC: Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Department of Justice.)

• Specifically, the Bureau of Justice Statistics Special Report stated that persons age 64 or older represent 15 percent of the population and experience: two percent of all violent crime, one percent of all rapes and sexual assaults, and four percent of all robberies. (Ibid.)
• In 1995, it was estimated that there were between 820,000 and 1,860,000 abused elders in the country; however, the true national prevalence or incidence of elder abuse is not known today. (Tatara, T. (1996, May). "Elder Abuse in Domestic Settings," Elder Abuse Information Series, #I. Washington, DC: National Center on Elder Abuse.)
• Nationally, nearly 70 percent of Adult Protective Service agencies' annual caseloads involve elder abuse. (Ibid., p.19)
• Based on reports from 39 states, the National Center on Elder Abuse states that out of confirmed domestic elder abuse cases reported in 1994 (excluding self-neglect or self-abuse cases), the perpetrators of elder abuse in domestic setting are as follows: adult children (35 percent); grandchildren (5.9 percent); spouse (13.4 percent); sibling (2.9 percent); other relatives (13.6 percent); service provider (6.2 percent); friend/neighbor (5.2 percent); all others (10.3 percent); and unknown (7.4 percent.). (Ibid., p. 9)
• The National Center on Elder Abuse estimates the incidence of specific types of elder maltreatment in 1994 (based on reports from 39 states) to be as follows: physical abuse (15.7 percent); sexual abuse (.04 percent); emotional abuse (7.3 percent); neglect (58.5 percent); financial exploitation (12.3 percent); all other types (5.1 percent); and unknown (.06 percent). (Ibid., p. 8)

• Among murders of victims over age 60, their offspring were the killers in 42 percent of the cases. Spouses were the perpetrators in 24 percent of family murders of persons over age 60. (Dawson & Langan. (1994). Murder in Families. Washington, DC: Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Department of Justice.)
• In most states, specific professionals are designated as "mandatory reporters of elder abuse" and are required by law to report suspected cases of elder maltreatment. In 1994, 21.6 percent of all domestic elder abuse reports came from physicians and other health care professionals, while another 9.4 percent came from service providers, and family members and relatives of victims reported 14.9 percent of reported cases domestic elder abuse. (Findings from a national study of domestic elder abuse reports conducted by the National Center on Elder Abuse, 1994)
• The median age of elder abuse victims is 76.4 years, according to 1994 data that excluded self-neglecting elders. (Ibid.)

Domestic Violence Against the Elderly

In the past year, new emphasis has been given to domestic violence committed against the elderly. This information is highlighted below:

• In the United States last year, more than 700,000 women over the age of 50 were hit by their husbands. Approximately half of all physical attacks on women over 50 are committed by their husbands. (Administration on Aging. (1996). Aging, No. 367. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.)

• For the most part it is a hidden crime, although research suggests that spouse/partner violence constitutes a significant portion of elder abuse. (Ibid.)

• Because few of the 1,500 domestic violence shelters nationwide have special programs and services for elder spouse abuse victims, the Administration on Aging is funding several model projects to help shelters develop services for women fifty years and older. (Ibid.)

Elder Victims of Fraud

Elders are especially at risk of becoming victims of economic scams and fraud. Con artists target the elderly with "get rich schemes," home improvement scams, and investment fraud:

• Telemarketing fraud has become a growing threat against the elderly. Of the 40 billion dollars lost each year from telemarketing crimes, about 37 percent of these crimes are committed against the elderly. (American Association of Retired Persons. (1996). Statistics on Elder Americans and Fraud.)

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