Theorising Age in Criminology: the Case of Home Abuse

The starting point of this paper is that 'age' is undertheorised and generally viewed as unproblematic in criminology, particularly when compared to the consideration which has been given to 'race', gender and sexuality. Beyond the empirical level 'age' is not always meaningful, and it is rarely unpacked theoretically. My aim is to demonstrate that studies of the relationship between older people and crime would benefit from a more critical approach, including explicit consideration of ageism. A number of theoretical perspectives which contribute to this task are discussed. Old age is the main focus of attention here, as youth crime and victimisation both receive more attention and are better developed conceptually. However, the idea of 'age' needs to be considered in broad terms to shed light on what we mean by 'old age'. While proposing a case for theorising age in criminology in general, my focus will be on what has come to be known as 'elder abuse' the domestic abuse of older people, often by carers, taking place in the home or in residential institutions. Though it is far from being a widely recognised 'social problem' on the same scale as child abuse or domestic violence against younger women and men, elder abuse has been growing in importance as an issue for academics and policy makers (Bennett, 1993; Biggs et al., 1995; Eastman, 1984, 1994; McCreadie, 1991, 1996; Social Services Inspectorate, 1993). However, it has largely been overlooked by criminologists, the debate so far being located mainly in medical and social welfare disciplines.