Definitions
Because our understanding of elder abuse is still emerging, the field does not have universally agreed upon definitions. Behavioral definitions created recently for policy and research may not be in sync with legal definitions in state statutes that were drafted 20 or more years ago.
Considerations include:
Age versus vulnerability: Some definitions of elder abuse are based solely on the age of the victim. State statutes use various ages including 60, 65 or 70 as the age threshold for individuals who are victims of elder abuse. At least one tribe has chosen 55 as the qualifying age. Many abuse in later life programs for older victims, commonly housed in domestic violence, sexual assault or aging network organizations, identify individuals who are age 50 and older as those who are eligible to receive their support and services.
Other definitions of elder abuse include the vulnerability of the older adult as a factor in determining whether the individual is a victim of elder abuse.
Relationship between victim and offender: Many professionals define elder abuse as occurring in situations where the victim has an ongoing relationship with an expectation of trust with the offender. This can include spouses, domestic partners, adult children and other family members, and some caregivers. This definition excludes scams perpetrated by strangers or crimes committed against older adults by strangers, such as muggings. Some definitions include situations where older adults are targeted based on their age or disability. Other definitions include stranger scams as a form of elder abuse.
Location: Historically, elder abuse was divided into domestic elder abuse and institutional abuse. Many professionals now recognize the need for law enforcement, advocates, social services and others to respond to all victims, no matter where they live.
Forms of abuse: The forms of elder abuse identified and defined by most state laws or tribal codes include physical, sexual and emotional abuse; neglect, and financial exploitation. Some definitions also include abandonment. Many state statutes and tribal codes include self neglect, although increasingly professionals are differentiating between the case where an older adult is unable to provide care for him/herself and the case where a perpetrator is harming an older adult. Although adult protective services (APS) responds to both situations, the remedies and collaborative partners differ significantly between cases of self neglect and those of abuse, neglect or exploitation involving a perpetrator.
The Violence Against Women Framework
Understanding the different frameworks used by the elder abuse and violence against women fields is important to improve communication and collaboration. The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) focuses on four crimes: domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and dating violence. All of these crimes can occur in later life.
VAWA describes the relationship between the victim and the offender when defining domestic violence and dating violence. Domestic violence is limited to intimate partner violence. Sexual assault and stalking definitions include perpetrators who may be strangers, spouses, partners, or family members.
For more information on VAWA definitions, go to: http://www.nnedv.org/.
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