Gender, Relationships, and Elder Abuse: Assessing Aggression in Mother-Daughter Dyads

The older adult population is growing rapidly, and with it comes a national concern for elder abuse. Elder abuse is an intentional act of harm or failure to provide care by a person in a trusted relationship with the elder. One relationship is often overlooked in both research and clinical practice as having special significance for elder abuse-that of the adult daughter-elderly mother. However, recent studies suggest that there are gender differences in the use of aggression, which challenge standard assessments of abuse and may be important for assessing mother-daughter relationships. In this narrative review article, the authors review the relevant literature on female-to-female aggression, with an emphasis on its application to mother-daughter relationships and elder abuse. Measurement tools are evaluated in light of the state of the science. The authors conclude with specific recommendations for clinical practice.