Perspectives on elder abuse in Greece

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Social Sciences
• Public Health

Background:

• Elder abuse is a significant public health concern globally.
• Understanding cultural perceptions of elder abuse is crucial for developing effective interventions.
• Greek cultural context regarding elder mistreatment requires specific investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore Greek perceptions of elder abuse, specifically examples of extreme, moderate, and mild mistreatment.
• To identify the most frequently cited types of elder mistreatment within the Greek population.
• To examine potential gender and age differences in the perception and reporting of elder abuse.

Main Methods:

• An exploratory qualitative study design was employed.
• Data were collected from 71 Greek participants (43 urban, 28 island village).
• Participants provided examples of elder abuse categorized by severity (extreme, moderate, mild).

Main Results:

• Physical aggression constituted half of the extreme abuse examples.
• Psychological abuse and neglect were predominant in moderate abuse examples.
• Neglect was the most cited category for mild abuse, with verbal abuse, psychological neglect, physical neglect, and hitting being most frequent overall.
• Females were more often depicted as victims, but no gender differences were found in abuse type or severity attribution.
• A negative correlation existed between age and the number of physical abuse examples.

Conclusions:

• Greek perceptions of elder abuse encompass a range of mistreatment types, with physical aggression at the extreme end and neglect at the mild end.
• Cultural nuances in understanding and reporting elder abuse, particularly neglect and psychological mistreatment, are evident.
• Further research is needed to address gendered victimisation patterns and age-related perceptions in elder abuse within the Greek context.