Physical Violence against Older Adults: A 7-Year Retrospective Evaluation from a University Hospital’s Department of Forensic Medicine

Abstract

Keywords

• aged
• elder abuse

Physical Violence Against Older Adults: A 7-Year Retrospective Evaluation from a University Hospital’s Department of Forensic Medicine

Abstract

Aim: The present study aims to examine the physical violence inflicted on older adults by strangers and the physical abuse committed by individuals they know; the characteristics of these victims and aggressors; and the physical consequences of violence on victims. The study also compares physical abuse and physical violence inflicted by strangers. Methodology: A total of 156 reports prepared for adults aged 65 years and over who were victims of intentional injury between 2014 and 2020 were retrospectively analysed. Results: Of the cases, 69.9% were male, 66% were subjected to physical violence by individuals they knew or with whom they had a trusting relationship and 34% were subjected to physical violence by strangers. Only 7.7% of older adults reported the violence to judicial authorities themselves. Victims of physical abuse were found to experience revictimization statistically significantly higher than those exposed to stranger violence. Victims of stranger violence were also exposed to statistically significantly more severe injuries than victims of physical abuse. Conclusion: The majority of elder victims were subjected to physical violence by individuals they know or with whom they have a trusting relationship. However, one-third of cases were subjected to violence by strangers according to this study, representing a rate that cannot be ignored. Abuse and violence against older adults remains largely unreported considering their inability to contact judicial authorities or hospitals, or pursue their rights due to physical, economic or mental dependence. Therefore, legal and social measures should be taken to protect older adults.

Keywords

• aged
• elder abuse
• forensic medicine
• physical abuse
• violence
• revictimization

References

1. Akdemir, N., Görgülü, Ü., & Çınar, F.İ. (2008). Yaşlı istismarı ve ihmali. Hacettepe Üniversitesi Hemşirelik Fakültesi Dergisi, 15(1), 68-75.
2. Altintop, I., & Tatli, M. (2019). Physical abuse of the elderly: a 4‐year retrospective evaluation in the emergency department. Psychogeriatrics, 19(1), 10-15.
3. Burnes, D., Pillemer, K., Caccamise, P. L., Mason, A., Henderson Jr, C. R., Berman, J., . . . Powell, M. (2015). Prevalence of and risk factors for elder abuse and neglect in the community: a population‐based study. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 63(9), 1906-1912.
4. Castro, V. C. d., Rissardo, L. K., & Carreira, L. (2018). Violence against the Brazilian elderlies: an analysis of hospitalizations. Revista brasileira de enfermagem, 71, 777-785.
5. Clarysse, K., Kivlahan, C., Beyer, I., & Gutermuth, J. (2018). Signs of physical abuse and neglect in the mature patient. Clinics in dermatology, 36(2), 264-270. de Sousa, R.I.M., de Macedo Bernardino, Í., de Castro, R. D., Cavalcanti, A. L., Bento, P.M., & d’Ávila, S. (2016). Maxillofacial trauma resulting from physical violence against older adults: A 4-year study in a Brazilian forensic service. Pesquisa Brasileira em Odontopediatria e Clínica Integrada, 16(1), 313-322.
6. Dong, X., & Simon, M.A. (2013). Elder abuse as a risk factor for hospitalization in older persons. JAMA internal medicine, 173(10), 911-917.
7. Dong, X. Q. (2015). Elder abuse: Systematic review and implications for practice. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 63(6), 1214-1238.
8. Friedman, L. S., Avila, S., Rizvi, T., Partida, R., & Friedman, D. (2017). Physical abuse of elderly adults: Victim characteristics and determinants of revictimization. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 65(7), 1420-1426.

9. Ghodousi, A., Maghsoodloo, S., & Hoseini, S.M.S. (2011). Forensic aspect of elder abuse: risk factors and characteristics. Journal of research in medical sciences: the official journal of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, 16(12), 1598.
10. Gil, A.P.M., Kislaya, I., Santos, A.J., Nunes, B., Nicolau, R., & Fernandes, A.A. (2015). Elder abuse in Portugal: findings from the first national prevalence study. Journal of elder abuse & neglect, 27(3), 174-195.
11. Gürsoy, M. Y., & Kara, F. (2020). Prevalence of violence against older adults and associated factors in Çanakkale, Turkey: A cross‐sectional study. Geriatrics & gerontology international, 20(1), 66-71.
12. Ho, C. S., Wong, S.-Y., Chiu, M. M., & Ho, R. C. (2017). Global prevalence of elder abuse: A metaanalysis and meta-regression. East Asian archives of psychiatry, 27(2), 43-55.
13. Johannesen, M., & LoGiudice, D. (2013). Elder abuse: a systematic review of risk factors in community-dwelling elders. Age and Ageing, 42(3), 292-298. doi: 10.1093/ageing/afs195
14. Kalaycı, I., Yazıcı, S. Ö., Özkul, M., & Küpeli, A. (2016). Perceptions of the elderly on elderly abuse. Turkish Journal of Geriatrics/Türk Geriatri Dergisi, 19(4), 232-237.
15. Karbeyaz, K., & Çelikel, A. (2017). The elder physical abuse reflected in judicial authorities in Eskisehir. Archives of gerontology and geriatrics, 73, 284-287.
16. Kılıç Öztürk, Y., Düzenli, E., Karaali, C., & Öztürk, F. (2017). Physical violence among elderly: analysis of admissions to an emergency department. Turkish Journal of Trauma and Emergency Surgery, 23(1), 56-60.
17. Lök, N. (2015). Türkiye'de yaşlı istismarı ve ihmali: Sistematik derleme. Psikiyatride Güncel Yaklaşımlar, 7(2), 149-156.
18. Pak, M. (2020). The prevalence and associated risk factors of elder abuse among older people applied to the family health center in the rural district of Turkey. Social work in health care, 59(4), 236-256.
19. Rodrigues, R. A. P., Silva, L. M., Seredynskyj, F. L., Fhon, J. R. S., Bolina, A. F., Miyamura, K., & Kobayasi, D. Y. (2019). Analysis of violence against older adults in police reports. Archives of psychiatric nursing, 33(4), 407-413.
20. Rosen, T., Bloemen, E. M., LoFaso, V. M., Clark, S., Flomenbaum, N. E., & Lachs, M. S. (2016). Emergency department presentations for injuries in older adults independently known to be victims of elder abuse. The Journal of emergency medicine, 50(3), 518-526.
21. Tereci, D., Turan, G., Nergis, K., Öncel, T., & Arslansoyu, N. (2016). An Overvıew of The Concept of Old Age. Beyond the Horizon Scientific Journal, 16(1), 84-116. United Nations. United Nations World Population Ageing Report. (2017). Retrieved from: https://www.un.org/en/development/desa/population/publications/pdf/ageing/WPA2017_Report.pdf.
22. World Health Organisation. (2002). The Toronto declaration on the global prevention of elder abuse. Retrieved from: https://www.who.int/ageing/projects/elder_abuse/alc_toronto_declaration_en.pdf.