English perceptions of elder abuse.

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Social Psychology
• Criminology

Background:

• Elder abuse is a significant societal issue.
• Understanding public perceptions is crucial for prevention and intervention strategies.
• Adult children are a primary perpetrator group in elder abuse cases.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate English sample perceptions of elder abuse.
• To identify types and severity of abuse inflicted by adult children on aging parents.
• To explore gender and age differences in reporting abuse.

Main Methods:

• Exploratory study design.
• Qualitative data collection through participant examples.
• Analysis of 50 participants' (14 males, 46 females) descriptions of elder abuse.

Main Results:

• Extreme abuse examples: neglect and physical aggression.
• Moderate/mild abuse examples: various neglect forms and psychological abuse.
• Females more frequently cited financial abuse, physical neglect, and psychological neglect as extreme.
• Males focused on power-related abuse at the moderate level.
• Positive correlation between age and reported physical neglect (moderate) and emotional abuse (mild).

Conclusions:

• Perceptions of elder abuse severity vary, with neglect and physical aggression perceived as most extreme.
• Gender influences the types of abuse reported.
• Age correlates with specific types of reported abuse.
• Findings inform targeted interventions and public awareness campaigns.