Forensic aspect of elder abuse: risk factors and characteristics

BACKGROUND This study aimed to determine the types of elder abuse, their risk factors and the characteristics of abusers among abused elderly people aged above 60 years in Isfahan. METHODS In a cross-sectional study, abused elderly individuals aged above 60 years that referred to the centers of competent jurisdiction with complaint against a person harassing them were studied during 2008-2009. The demographic profiles of the abused and abusers were collected by physicians who worked in forensic medical centers, using a questionnaire. The type of abuse was classified as physical, emotional, sexual and neglect. RESULTS The prevalence of physical, emotional and sexual abuse as well as neglect in 68 individuals who were intentionally abused was 100%, 100%, 0% and 11.8%, respectively. Abused subjects were healthy, unemployed and illiterate men and women (similar sex distribution) with moderate monthly income who lived with their families, mainly in cities (p < 0.05). The abusers were mainly healthy and illiterate men, mostly the sons of the abused person, living in cities (p < 0.05). Forty six (67.6%) patients had previous history of abuse, 43 (63.2%) had more than one previous record and in 45 ones (66.2%) the previous abuse was repeated. There was no relation between elder abuse and drug and alcohol abuse (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS The findings of this study provided a sense about the probably high prevalence of elder abuse in our community and its related risk factors.